Bahubali 2 : The Movie Review

 

Movie – Bahubali 2 : The Conclusion

Directed by – S. S Rajamouli

Story and Screenplay – S. S Rajamouli & K.V Prasad

Actors – Prabhas , Ramya Krishna , Rana Daggubati ,Satyaraj , Anushka Shetty , Naseer

Language – Tamil , Telegu , Hindi , Malayalam

Country – India

Genre – Epic Fantasy Drama.

Haters will hate, So if you hate Epic Fantasy dramas, just get the hell out of here.

First of all you need to understand what is an Epic? Well according to the Cornell University Professor M.H Abrams it is a long narrative poem about victories and adventures of a hero involving lofty and elegant diction. The fate of the people or tribe depends on the action of that particular hero. The style is filled loftiness and grandeur.Sometimes it involves divine intervention and supernaturalism in its narrative. Think of The Ramayana, The Mahabharat, Virgil’s Aeneid or Homer’s Illiad..you will notice this archetypal pattern of larger than life sequences and grandeur in the action of the central protagonists. S . S Rajamouli’s Bahubali belongs to this group of Epic poetries.Yes yes some of you will think this man has gone nuts.Lol!

Plot

The second instalment starts off with the conversation between Katappa and Shiva ( the son of Amarendra Bahubali ) and the audience travels almost twenty-five years into the colossal kingdom Mahesmati. The story follows the streak of popularity of Bahubali among his subject and his courtship with beautiful princess, Devsena of Kuntai Pradesh.Later on the antagonist Bhallaldeva and his father conspire against the crown prince and what happens next…Find out at theatres near you.As usual ..no spoiler here.

VFX

The treatment is epic in every sense , right from the dashing entry of Prabhas to the highly imaginative sequence of the flying craft…it provides visual delights to its audience.I think  Baahubali will be a milestone in the case of VFX usage in Indian Cinema.Yes it is at par with the Hollywood cinemas..but don’t compare it with anyone.You need to feel the grand vision of the director.

Yes, few VFX sequences were pure LOL. 😛

Characters

The Characters were already established in the prequel, so the audience have been able to identify the nature of the Baahubali 2 actors. The film belongs to the mighty hero Prabhas, right from his dialogue delivery to his muscularity…you deserve a high five for such brilliant act as the lead of the film franchise.Ranna Daggubati is a cold blooded conspirator and a true blue villain with a dazzling personality. Ranna’s Bhallaldeva is a  man of few words and lots of action. The expression through the dark eyes..were spine chilling to the core. Indian Cinema got a new super villain. He is as good as Prabhas.Kattappa’s character didn’t lived up to the expectation, he was much promising in the first part ..however, you could relate to his pitiable condition as torn soul throughout the movie. Nassar as the father of Bhallaldeva reminded me of Dhritarashtra and Shakuni, a handicapped and conspirator…he was an effortless evil persona throughout the narration.Rajmata Shivagami aka Ramya Krishnan screen presence was royal in every aspect. The surprise package of the movie was Anushka Shetty, right from the introductory scene where she swings her swords to the last scene where she put an end to the evil…take a bow Shetty ..you were a treat to watch. A bold character in every sense..no no not skin show but modern mindset on every aspect. Shetty as the Princess Devasena stood for honour, valour, heroism and rationality.

She is not the one who is going to take your nonsense..thus she questions every tradition and if the necessity arises she wields her sword and arrow to punish the offenders. Kudos to the scriptwriter and Anushka Shetty for providing such a brilliant characterization of radiant feminist.

Storytelling

The script is crisp and full of memorable one-liners. The script draws some elements from Indian Epics and mould it according to the storyline.The opening credits of the movie where Rajamouli freezes the outstanding moments from the previous instalment teleport you directly to the age of chivalric romance and heroism. The screenplay could have been better but Rajamouli’s master storytelling technique takes it to a different level of amusement.The Royal throne is always cursed and Aurangzeb was right when he said “Kingship knows no Kinship”.Experience the bloody saga of revenge.

 

Feel

People were clapping at the extravagant visual ride, amazing performance of the lead cast and  witty dialogues of Bahubali 2. Some of the scenes were truly epic and unforgettable. Anushka Shetty ‘s fiery personality, Prabhaas’ daring heroism, Senthiraj(Kattappa) loyalty and lastly Rana Daggubati’s intrigue and loathsome attitude make the movie an unforgettable experience. The imagination coloured by special effects will be a treat to your heart and mind. Please don’t compare with LOTR, Harry Potter …Bahubali 2 shines in its own golden rays.It is not easy for a regional film to create such a hype and deliver such world class product in India. Cheers to the director S. S Rajamouli for delivering such a visionary piece of cinema.Izzat rakhli …

Pros

Amazing acting by the lead cast

The Indianess in the beauty of Anushka Shetty

The muscle flexing scenes of Ranna Duggabati

The working chemistry between Rana Duggabati and Nassar ( Bhalladeva and  Bijjaladeva )

The passionate romance between Devsena and Bahubali

Katappa’s struggle with conscience

Amazing usage of special effect and the dream sequence of Anushka and Prabhaas on the floating boat.Oh the kiss ..grand.

The death scene of Amarendra Bahubali- a solid tearjerker.

The selfless act of Prabhas as Amarendra Baahlubali

The introductory scene of Anushka Shetty and Bahubali

The bow and arrow sequence by Anushka Shetty and Prabhas while shooting the Pindari Dacoits.

Daler Mahendi’s powerful voice in Jiyo Re Bahubali

The final fight between the Uncle and Nephew.

You cannot get enough of Prabhas.

You cannot miss the high impact factor of this Pan – Indian Classic saga of love , jealousy and revenge.

It is a vivid celebration of India’s glorious past. Kudos to the Postcolonialism.

Almost everything.

 

Cons

The final battle where Mahendra Bahubali took the aid of Coconut Trees…hilarious.

Few animations were loud and funny.

Where was Tamannah? Completely wasted.

Some songs could have been easily omitted from the script.

Prabhas was far more convincing as Amarendra Bahubali than Mahendra Bahubali.

 

Ratings – Some films are above the calculative ratings.This will be an unforgettable experience for me and I am too small a person to rate such a brilliant work of art.For your information, IMDB rated it 9.3/10.

Do not download the movie…if you miss it at the theatre..it will be a loss. Go to a Cinema Hall near you…

Trailer for you

Disclaimer – Images from Internet.

Ashutosh Javadekar’s AAS

Welcome back everyone to another musical treat of Dr Ashutosh Javadekar…this time it is bigger and better. First born child is always special, so the previous one is really close to heart but the second instalment makes you believe in the exquisiteness of life.

However this time he has been joined by two gifted personalities Mr Sarang Kulkarni and Savaniee Ravindra . I have been fortunate enough to witness the Sarod skill of Sarang Kulkarni beforehand..wayback at the West Zone Inter University Competition at Surat ,Gujrat.Kulkarni’s tunes provides a blissfull aura to the song.The beard suits you…but I missed your locks. Savaniee Ravindra’s vocal quality is so powerful yet subtle in this melody and she is a treat to watch while swaying across the waves of Arabian Sea.

Dr Javadekar did an awesome fusion job with bilingual lyrics. His Non- Mahrashtrian fans were always demanding for a translated version of his creative pieces..but he comes with a boom…he creates an original poesy in both Queen’s language and Majhi Bhasha resulting in the development of AAS.Sir, don’t give up your leather jacket in near future.

Ashu Da ..you have been getting better with age. You are the vintage wine of the music industry who takes his own time to brew and replenishes the thrust of the music aficionados with unforgettable melodies. It takes a lots of courage to experiment with such innovative musical forms and kudos for such daring attempt …no doubt the great Shankar Mahadevan was showering compliments on 9x Jhakkas Live.

With my limited musical capabilities I would like to say…this music video seemed effortless in its conceptualization and execution.The vocal qualities of both the male and female counterparts have complemented each other in this musical delight. The musical arrangement is as soothing as the gentle waves of Konkan beaches and lastly the temperament of the song – it makes you grin…and when an art brings out a glee on your face…it becomes successful.

Keep rocking Ashuda with your Vocals , lyrics and looks..going to be Legendary

Enjoy the music video

 

Disclaimer – Purely non -commercial use

Images collected from Internet.

 

Film Review : The Ghazi Attack

The Ghazi Attack

Direction -Sankalp Reddy

Writer -Azad Alam

Screenplay – Sankalp Reddy,

Cast –     Om Puri,Kay Kay Menon, Rana Daggubati,Atul Kulkarni,Taapsee Pannu , Rahul Singh

 

War films in Bollywood mean Chetan  Anand’s Haqeeqat , J. P Dutt’s Border and LOC Kargil with fuelled up patriotism, study of personal relationships of the soldiers and some unforgettable melodies. Afterall who can forget Mohd Rafi’s Ab Tumhare Hawale Watan Saathio or Sonu Nigam and Roop Kumar Rathod’s Sandesey Aatey Hain. All of them were great films but suffered one fatal flaw – too much distraction from main war and dragged up a length of the film.

This is where Sankalp Reddy’s trilingual war epic The Ghazi Attack scores 100 % marks for its focus on the core subject ….the WAR between India and Pakistan. This movie is actually the prologue to what we have seen in J. P Dutt’s Border.Border sums the legendary battle of Indian forces at Longewala against the Pakistani army …this movie shows why the Pakistan army declared war against India on December 4^th, 1971.Watch…the battle of Indian navy.

No way I am going to reveal the story line..This movie chronicles the voyage of an Indian Navy submarine S21 along the northern waters of Bay of Bengal.

Kay Kay Menon as Captain of S21 does an honest job as the captain of the Indian submarine ,his penache for violence and to hit the enemy vessel is very well etched out. He represents all the defence personal and Police persons who want to hit the enemy at the first instance without waiting for the orders of headquarters.

Ranna Duggabati as (Arjun Varma) Lt.Commander of S21 is the smartest man on duty and one of the most brilliant characters of the film who displays qualities like honour, justice and tactics through his acting skill throughout the film. Well, you could have shaved your beard. Keep it up man..you are perfect.

Atul Kulkarni did the most difficult job as a navy officer being torn up between the law abiding officer and the daredevil captain of the sheep….your experience as an actor shows in every frame.

Tapasse Panu did a decent job as the East Pakistani refugee, so does Om Puri and the other team of supporting actors.

But the man who steals the show is Rahul Singh as the Commander Razaq Mohd Khan of Pakistani submarine Ghazi. It is very common to overlook the counter-narrative approach in a war film , Madras Cafe did some justice on this aspect but The Ghazi Attack provides enough space for the drama inside the Pakistani Submarine.Rahul Singh delights the audience with his expressions and radiant acting skills…You will hate him for his anti-India dialogue. You will love his tactics as a Submarine captain and his frustration when he speaks out:

“Commander hain yaah liftman..upar neeche upar ”

The editing is perfect and not at all over the top.Indian audience enjoyed the interiors of Submarine after Shyam Benegal’s Bose – The Forgotten Hero.  There were no melodramatic scenes, the dialogues were crisp and the screenplay is world class to the core.The film scores in building up cinematic thrills and tension across its course of narration and delivers a highly engaging piece of Cinema.Thanks to the special effect, it was beautiful seabed across 70mm.No doubt it has got an 8.7 rating on IMDB.This is one type of film which makes you stand up and salute the unsung heroes of our nation…and it proves that War is always between great minds and it is won by courage, knowledge and the spirit of patriotism.
A must watch ….

Cheers to our soldiers

Cheers to honest film making .

 

The film is  partially inspired by the book  The Blue Fish

Enjoy the trailer

 

Disclaimer : Images from the internet

Delhi – Dil Se

“I asked my soul: What is Delhi? She replied: The world is the body and Delhi its life. Mirza Asadullah Khan Ghalib”

― Khushwant Singh, Delhi: A Novel

I have always been enthralled by the notion of city literature.  The word city literature does not exist in the world of academics, who cares. I like the books such as Maximum City, Narcopolis, City of Joy..and Singh’s Delhi has always been my hot favourite.

Well, I came across few posts like Mumbai is a fast paced city with raw vibe and Calcutta is a city with soul…but Delhi well…Mirza Ghalib already spoke about it, it is the life itself.

It was the Diwali vacation and just like any year, holiday .it was the time for the annual holiday.Almost eight years ago ..I set my lousy body upon Delhi as a first year English Honours student with my parents and relatives. We headed for Uttarakhand and UP brahmana that time.This time it was Himachal Pradesh and Punjab.

My mom and dad were scheduled to arrive in Old Delhi Station at 8:30 pm via Kalka Mail. However being the wild history enthusiast(count me as a Delhi aficionado also).I wanted to have maximum time with myself in order to explore the mad conurbation. I wanted to visit two places..because, during the last visit, I couldn’t get enough of India Gate and missed Jama Masjid ( major missing ).

Now enough of slump epilogue…Let the travel begin.

The date was..forget it..reached Mumbai Central and boarded New Delhi-bound Mumbai-New Delhi Rajdhani Express with lots of hope and aspiration. I have travelled a lot by premier trains( No No I am not rich- so no showing off)…and Rajdhani has been able to maintain its aura.  Duronto Express also provides the same type of services..but the quality has gone down drastically. So there was I with a trolly,backpack, some great songs and House of Cards episodes on my mobile.

One of the best thing about this train journey was that ..everyone was having conversations and in this era of smartphones it is quite a great feat. Yes, there were kids and bachelor launde and uncles but all in all, it was a cool one.

The October heat of Mumbai was far far away and instead, a cool Delhi welcomed me with open arms.I made an acquaintance with a budding Al Pacino of Andheri ( on the train itself)who was struggling to make an impact on 70mm in Mumbai .

Nikhil Madnani saved me from the complex web of Yellow, blue, Red lines ( routes) of Delhi Metro owing to his thorough knowledge about the National Capital and we enjoyed do Garam chai ki Pyali followed by…you know what I mean. I was finally sitting at the century-old Colonial feel wala  Delhi Railway station after dumping my luggage at the locker room.Now it was the time to set out like a vagabond(…with GPS) across the gully and nukkar of Delhi………

To be continued…………

Dangal – The Dhakkad Review

Director -Nitesh Tiwari

Written -Nitesh Tiwari,Piyush Gupta,Shreyas Jain,Nikhil Meharotra

The nomenclature of the film is so apt , it showcases fights of different types throughout the entire length . While a middle aged man is fighting against the patriarchy of Harayana  and on other hand the little girls are struggling to make it big in the  wrestling arena . There are physical dangal , economic dangal , dangal of ego and the dangal with yourself.

The movie is true in spirit, it keeps the fighting will alive throughout the course of narration. Aamir Khan once again shines like a big burning sun across the rustic terrain of Haryana . This film is about wrestling ( as if you don’t know ) and unlike few movies …there are no subplots of romance , revenge or any god dam things . Hero and heroines doesn’t boogie or break in to an impromptu jig on the screen. The technicality is top notch, you will feel good after being fed with minute details about wrestling .

Aamir Khan plays a retired wrestler with full of passion for wrestling and no financial back up for the same . However he was having a hope that one day his son will bring glory for the country . But wait, his wife couldn’t deliver any boy ..all were girls and while showing the utter desperate nature of a father in need of a boy , the director exposed the ugly truth about “ I need a boy child “ . However unlike some father , this Pahelwan understood the value of a girl child when she beats the shit out of two village boys….tan tana…the training began ( I am not revealing the story, the trailer have showcased all these things ).

Acting wise every one shines , good to see Sakshi Tanwar on big screen finally . The Poghat sisters were really promising , their long distant cousin was really terrific . This fellow Aparshakti Khurrana  is an actor per class and the character was very well sketched . Special mention to the idiotic and egoistic coach essayed by Girish Kulkarni . Kulkarni is a national award winner Marathi actor who rocked Anurag Kashyap’s Ugly with his sheer brilliant onscreen antics . I am hoping to see more of you in Hindi Films .

Aamir Khan , well you were not there..it was Mahavir Singh Poghat all the way . Yet ,another time..you have deconstructed yourself to construct another one . I will just use one word which you said at the end of the film…. “SAABAAASH”( stress upon SSSSSSS).

Just like all other sports film…this film also exposed the corrupt sports officials and inadequate sports infrastructure in India.

The technical details have been very apt , so is the cinematography . Hanikarak Bapu created ripples of laughter across the theatre and Dhakkad vibrated the attitude of a Warrior..oh please read as Wrestler.

Dangal fruitfully tackled some issues  such as male domination in sports and fake sense of patriarchy in women’s life in any village of India . But it raises few questions like why father’s dreams should be imposed upon young progenies ? .

Again if there are no dreams(read imposed ) or hope..don’t you think Women  would be again considered as Paraya Dhan..and they would brought up to be some one’s mother , wife..but never herself .Well it is confusing…

Aamir is a sport film enthusiast ..do you remember Awaal Number  ?…Lagaan was also there and this one  Dangal , is definitely one of the best sports film of Bollywood . But ,is it better than Chak De ? Does it invoke subtle Aashayein like Nagesh Kuknoor’s Iqbal or make you angry like the Khadoos  Madhavan of Sala Khadoos ..well find it yourself .

Ratings- Excellent …

Pros

Aamir Khan as the Wrestler , as the young father , as the Coach and as the ageing coach and father.

The fight choreography.

Acting was really good.

Screenplay was really gripping.

The tone was well textured and full of cinematic thrills.

The transformation of Aamir’s physique.

Cons

Well nothing …except the length.

Girish Kulkarni deserved more..

Trailer

Disclaimer – Images from Internet.

Kahaani 2 – A slightly delayed Review

Kahaani 2 sadly carries the baggage of its previous instalment and that is the point where it looses considerably  . However with an exceptional acting department , the social point of view and an engaging screenplay manages to keep the audience in the theatre.

First of all , this is not a sequel of  Kahaani . It lacks the fast paced motion of the original flick and the surprise element is not that hard hitting . Oh wait this is a good film..much better than those song and danced theme Phoren location (Foreign ) shootwala films.

Sujoy Ghosh is a good director but he should have kept an eye for the details . Vidya Balan shines like the north star. She is lonely , she is plump , she is without makeup and she steals the show with her power packed performance.Tota Roy Chowdhury as the romantic interest does a decent job . So is Arjun Rampal  who manages to keep the drama intact with his expressionless acting. :P.

But the surprise package of the film is Jugal Hansraj . Oh man you have been wasting your time in the Yash Raj camp for a long time..this genre suits you. Keep it up and come out of “Ghar se hi nikalte hi “ and “Mohabbatein “ phase.

Take a bow Mr Kharaj Mukherjee …you are a sheer delight to watch onscreen .Mukherjee rocked the screen with his funny and cliché Bangla styled Hindi accent and sheer display of effortless acting skills . Your big belly and facial muscles were also giving expressions.

Shot at the old Dutch Colony of Bengal – Chandannagar , the film looked really fresh and were full of spine chilling moments . The portion shot at the scenic North Bengal town ofKurseong were as cold as the screenplay .The social theme of Child abuse have been authentically dealt by the director, full marks for that.

However the script suffers from various obstacle like why Vidya Balan suddenly landed in Kurseong from Delhi…and few more.

All in all it is a good thriller but could have been much better.Sujoy Ghosh make this kind of thriller but you can always improve.

Parambrata’s confused expressions  and the Usha Utthup voice were terribly missed.

Pros.

It tackled a sensitive social issue.

Powerfull thrills and cinematic moments

Great acting the team.

Chandan Nagar ‘s night view was appealing.

Gripping Thriller.

Kharaj Mukherjee and Vidya Balan were excellent.

Mehram was a beautiful composition.

Economic usage of frames.

The last twist was delightful.

Cons

No Kolkata you sexy.

Arjun Rampal was  acting as an West Bengal Police Officer (seen in Khaki Wardi), however he was supposed to get a promotion to Lal Bazar . Lal Bazar is the head quarter of Kolkata Police. State Police and City Police are completely different bodies . Arjun Rampal was said to be inspector..Inspectors are supposed to have   a single star without any red ribbon and it should have been WBPS not WBP . What is wrong with Bollywood ? Even Akshay’s uniform in Rustom were full of errors.

A hard hitting background score could have added up to the film’s value.

Cinematography didn’t explore the stunning architectural beauty of Chandannagar.

Arjun Rampal could have been easily replaced by Parambrata Chatterjee.

The film poster didn’t create any kind of excitement.

Enjoy the trailer.

Disclaimer : Images from the internet.

The Mahabharata Code : The Book Review

 

The Book Review

Yada yada hi dharmasya glanirbhavati bharata

Abhythanamadharmasya tadatmanam srijamyaham

 

Paritranaya sadhunang vinashay cha dushkritam

Dharmasangsthapanarthay sambhabami yuge yuge

Bhagavad Gita Chapter 4 ,Verse 7-8.

(The English Translation)

Whenever there is a decay in righteousness,

And there is exaltation of unrighteousness, then I , Myself come forth ;

 

For the defense of the good, for the demolition of evil-doers,

For the sake of firmly establishing righteousness, I am born from age to age.

 

This sloka has been my cult favourite since the days of  B R Chopra’s Mahabharat. Books based on Mahabharat have always intrigued me .But most of them nowadays are about the spinning of that same wheel, except Devdutt Pattanaik’s Jaya and Shashi Tharoor’s The Great Indian Novel.

I have been conducting my Mphil thesis on Indian Science Fiction ,thus I am bit acquainted with most of the writings on this genre.Rao’s The Mahabharata Code has been running out of supply owing to its high demand. I wanted to go through it.

The book begins with lots ambiguity and like a master storyteller Karthik Rao unravel the complex mesh of the plot..well it gets much more interesting onwards.

The cover design has been an elegant masterpiece.I have an weakness for such brilliant piece of art.The narration has been reasonably fast paced and Rao manages to keep his readers to the edge.The anecdotes are top notch and the philosophy are never too loud to digest.You will relish the book with a witty smile on your lips. Rao provides the setting of science fiction and transport all the readers to the world of a Nasa Scientist Narayan Rao . The plot thickens with the encounter of  Narayan with a mysterious Gandalf styled person who wants to recreate the Mahabaharat.

The characters have been skillfully carved out of the ancient discourse of the great Indian epic and moulded  into a futuristic  setting  of  space science fiction. Special mention about the schemer and the scripter of the epic Ved Vyasa. I have always thought that Ved Vyasa remained only a partial character in the epic ,but here he is in full authority of the novel.

You cannot ignore his brilliance as a master conniver. You will feel allied to characters like Shrishti and Holy Hades. Krishna in Tharoor’s narration was a Keralian youth and one of the most weakest in the novel .I was bit skeptical about Rao’s characterization of Krishna ,well you have to go through the book to find out whether he is as mighty as the Gudakesh of the original Mahabharat ,who promises to appear again and again where there will be the domination of evil upon earth or he is just a mere wager in the great plan of Vyasa ?(refer to the sloka at the top)

Watch out for the brilliant scientific conceptualization about the impotency of Arjun and well you cannot ignore the game of dice..(sssh the dice can operate only through the voice command of our favourite Shakuni Mama ).You have read the epics and come across many uncomfortable questions..well the authors provide some witty explanation.

I am waiting for somewhat different piece of Science Fiction from the talented author  Karthik Rao.Keep it up Mr Rao.Well after Samit Basu , I can see a master story teller of Science Fiction in Indian English Literature.

Pros

1.Perfect Cover design

2.Awesome characterization.

3.Excellent plot execution.

4.Nirbhaya Shot and Electronic Dice.

5.The modern setting.

6.Krishna and Ved Vyasa were top notch creations.

7.Simple and hilarious.

Cons

1.Those boring conversation between Narayan and Shrishti.

2.Time to delve into something more innovative.

Rating – 4.5 out of 5

 

 

 

 

THE MAHABHARATA CODE

by

KARTHIK K.B.RAO

 

Blurb

 

“The Mahabharata Code is a personal account of the main protagonist Narayan Rao (NR), who claims to be an astronomer with NASA. NR and a few other crew members agree to take part in the NASA mission to visit this mystery planet from which they had received mysterious signals. Here, they meet a man with a long flowing white beard, and he introduces himself as Vyasa. He reveals that he has a crazy plan in mind and seeks NR and his members’ help in implementing this plan. He intends to recreate the entire Mahabharata on this planet to restore the faith of the primitive simpletons here.

 

As the Mahabharata incidents start unfolding, NR realizes that Vyasa intends to recreate them page by page here, if not paragraph by paragraph. Also NR begins to realize that his son, Krishna, who is being groomed by Vyasa as Vishnu’s avatar, is nothing more than a pawn in Vyasa’s scheme of things. Other incidents of Mahabharata also unfold according to the original epic. Pandavas and Kauravas grow up hating each other and finally the restaging plan culminates with both the warring sets of cousins facing each other in the battlefield of Kurukshetra.

 

Inexplicably, like the original epic, Arjuna develops cold feet seeing his own cousins, teachers and relatives on the opposite side. He seeks Krishna’s divine intervention. Is the brainwashed “alien” Krishna prepared for this intervention?”

 

Grab  your copy @

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About the author

 

 

Karthik K.B. Rao

 

Karthik Rao is a 32-year-old software professional based in Bangalore. He lives with his wife Sushma, parents and two little sons Kaustubh Krishna and Raghav Krishna aged 4 and 1, respectively. He says, he gets to meditate close to 3 hours every day on his bike thanks to the notorious Bangalore traffic. His hobbies include following cricket, Indian politics on the social media and Indian mythology. He also plays plastic ball cricket with his sons.

You can stalk him @

   

 

 

 

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No Safe Zone : Interview with Adite Banerjie

Debraj Moulick

Why did you choose thriller as a backdrop of your novel ?

No Safe Zone began life as a thriller screenplay. However, after writing a few scenes, it was turning ‘too dark’. I didn’t quite like the way the story was flowing and I set it aside for a while. As deadline time for submitting my manuscript to the publisher was fast approaching, I decided to rework the script premise and give it a new spin. I did some more research on the topic of women’s trafficking and came across a news item about ‘baby bazars’. It made me realise what was missing in my story and how I could give it the ‘suspense’ angle that it was lacking and tie it in with the romantic story.

2.Don’t you think the plot could have easily sketched a major negative character ?
NSZ definitely has a cast of villainous characters and even during the writing I knew that I hadn’t done enough justice in bringing out their ‘evil-ness’. Normally, intrigue or suspense novels published by Harlequin are slightly longer (at about 60-70,000 words). However, in India, the publisher did not want a longer format and I was told to stick to 50,000 words and focus on the hero-heroine’s romantic travails. As a result, there wasn’t enough space to explore the villains in depth.
3.How much time did you devote for a bestselling novel like No Safe Zone?
The research and plotting of the book took more time than the actual writing of the book. Also once the first draft was done, I had to make sure that there were no plot holes and loose ends. So that meant going over the manuscript, along with the editor, multiple times and reworking it over and over again. All told, it took about eight to nine months to finish the manuscript.
4.If it gets a Hindi Movie adaptation, who is going to play the role of Qiara and the hotshot agent ?
I love this question. ☺ Deepika Padukone as the feisty Qiara would be ideal and who better than Hrithik Roshan with fire in his eyes and rippling muscles to be her on-screen beau? ☺
5.Tell us about your upcoming projects.
I am currently working on a romance novella and a screenplay simultaneously.

<br /></div>

NO SAFE ZONE 

by

ADITE BANERJIE

<b><span style=”font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif; font-size: large;”><br /></span></b>

<br />

<b><span style=”font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif; font-size: large;”><br /></span></b> <span style=”font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif; font-size: large;”><b>Blurb</b></span><br />

Qiara Rana will do anything to save her mentor and their non-government organization from ruin. Even if it means visiting the city she had vowed never to return to. But within a few hours of landing in New Delhi, she is being chased by a gunman and is a potential suspect in the murder of a high-profile businessman. 

The only person she can turn to for help is Kabir Shorey, the man who stood her up ten years ago. Past and present collide in a deadly plot of crime and greed that moves from the cosmopolitan streets of Delhi to the bazaars and villages of Rajasthan. 

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<b><span style=”font-size: large;”>Excerpt from #NSZ</span></b><br />

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Kabir couldn’t take his eyes off the game in progress. The sight of the polo players astride their horses, moving as a seamless entity, while steering the ball away from their opponents made him restless. He hadn’t ridden a horse or held a polo club in his hands for years. He had to use all his self-control to stop himself from rushing on to the field, pulling down one of the players and laying claim to his horse.

The memories came galloping back from the deepest recesses of his mind—Chetak with the brilliant white star in the middle of his forehead. What a dream team they had made. Chetak could anticipate his every move on the polo field even before he could think of it. They had never lost a game, making their perfectly matched combination the envy of every player in Rajasthan. If only they hadn’t been such a success on the polo turf…maybe things would have been different. Kabir’s heart burnt with longing and regret and the emotions bubbled within him like a dormant volcano beginning to stir up again.

Taking a deep, self-sustaining breath he raised his telephoto-lens equipped camera to his eyes, more to hide the dampness in his eyes. He focused on the spectators stand as he tried to reorient himself to his mission. He was here to get information on Ranveer Khanna, a known polo aficionado. It was the final day of the annual championships hosted by the Army Polo Club and Khanna was bound to show up.

Suddenly, two men appeared in the camera’s view finder. One of them was definitely Khanna while the other was a taller, stockily built man in his mid-twenties.

Kabir snapped a few pictures in quick succession. The younger man seemed to be agitated and was waving his finger threateningly at Khanna. He also didn’t quite fit the typical characteristics of a polo enthusiast. His attire was a little shabbier than what the other patrons of the club sported at such an elite affair. Perhaps, he was a chauffeur or a helper? His attitude though was far from servile. In fact, Khanna looked a trifle intimidated. After a couple of minutes, Khanna said something and turned to go inside the club.

Kabir took a few more random shots as he saw a waiter approach Khanna and say a few words to him.

Just at that moment Kabir’s cell phone beeped in his shirt pocket. It was Zayed—his new partner! Smirking at the thought, Kabir answered the call.

“Our man is here. Found out from the concierge, Khanna has recently acquired two stallions and is also a patron of a polo team in Argentina. It seems like he is either partnering with some other loaded investors or is a front for them.”

He waited to hear out Zayed’s response and swallowed the oath that sprang to his lips. “Zayed, if you already knew it, why you didn’t tell me?” Seconds later Kabir burst out, “Don’t give me that bullcrap. You and I are supposed to be on the same team, remember? If you had any doubts about my capabilities you should have spoken up at the meeting. If we have to work together, we share information, got it?”

Kabir felt his blood pressure rise up a notch as Zayed disgorged some more intel. Apparently, the NCA had informed him that Girls Rock! might be a money laundering front for Khanna.

“Someone from Girls Rock! is supposed to meet—hello? Are you there?”

Kabir cursed as he checked the screen of his phone to find the network signal had dropped. Moving away from the bleachers, he walked towards the club, trying to reach Zayed. He paced around a bit outside the entrance, waiting for the network signal to show up. Not even one blasted green light. He stormed into the club house in search of a landline phone. What else was Zayed not telling him? Clearly, Zayed’s reputation of not being a team player was quite accurate. It seemed like he needed to lay down some ground rules with his partner soon or else this investigation was doomed.

Scanning the lounge area, he spotted Khanna talking to a woman whose back was turned to him. After a few seconds, he saw her get up and follow Khanna out.

Kabir’s glance froze on the woman. She was petite, with the same china-doll-like figure, the same sexy gait, the same sway to her hips that made his heart pump harder. He raised the camera to his eyes, zooming in on her face to get a closer look but she was looking away. Nevertheless, he got a couple of shots before she disappeared down the corridor towards the inner sanctum of the club.

Was it her? Watching a polo match after all these years had sent his mind into throwback mode. He must be hallucinating! Get real, Kabir! 

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Adite Banerjie discovered the wonderful world of books at an early age which sparked her interest in writing. After a fulfilling and exciting career as a business journalist she turned her attention to fiction. Her latest book is a romantic-thriller No Safe Zone, published by Harper Collins India. She has penned two books for Mills & Boon (The Indian Tycoon’s Marriage Deal and Trouble Has a New Name) and written several screenplays. When she is not grappling with her current work-in-progress, she enjoys spending time with her writer husband and watching back-to-back movies. 

Media Mentions:

Click Here to read the article in The Hindu Metroplus

Click Here to read a book review of No Safe Zone in Millennium Post

Click Here to read the article in The Big Thrill magazine

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The Rise of the Photographer

Seeing is believing and actions are always louder than words..Just Check out the awesomely clicked shots by Nikhil Parmar.

Check out one of them ..others are available on the link

I am sharing the link of his album.

Check this out.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/nikhilparmar/

Disclaimer : The images have been taken from the above mentioned link.

No Safe Zone by Adite Banerjie : A Book Review

Paperback : 200 pages

Publisher: Harlequin

Genre – Romantic Thriller

Blurb

Qiara Rana will do anything to save her mentor and their non-government organization from ruin. Even if it means visiting the city she had vowed never to return to. But within a few hours of landing in New Delhi, she is being chased by a gunman and is a potential suspect in the murder of a high-profile businessman. The only person she can turn to for help is Kabir Shorey, the man who stood her up ten years ago. Past and present collide in a deadly plot of crime and greed that moves from the cosmopolitan streets of Delhi to the bazaars and villages of Rajasthan

Adite Banerjie

The Book Review

Adite Banerjie’s work  is all about engaging plot and smart execution of the same.She doesn’t let you get bored even for the slightest moment.I was bit sad ,after having a look at the cover picture of the book.I thought  “Oh No ..another Chick Flick”..but it is said never ever judge a book by its cover.

I am not against Romance but given a choice it will always be my second option.The word thriller in itself can arouse lots of apprehension and Banerjie makes it a point to keep you at the edge . While I was reading her  Trouble Has  A New Name  ..I was having expressions like AWW.. How Sweet.But this time it was Oh No .Run Qiara..Whoa what a thrill ..cumm on Kabir ..Yeah.

The plot is fast paced with a proper beginning , middle and a climax . The romantic involvement is served like a dessert and an apetizer with a nail biting thriller as the main course.The author provides numerous twists and turns at regular intervals and it  adds up to a fine reading experience.

The episodes in the state  Rajasthan  provides a royal touch and an exotic experience at the same time.Kabir as the romantic partner of Qiara is very matched and their chemistry is to die for. Aditie Banerjie provides a hot sizzler on the plate with Qiara and Kabir.

However the story is not that simple … Madam Banerjie serves a complex mesh of events and misunderstandings to the readers and when she decides to unravel the knots in the complex mesh ,the result is very pleasing.

The romantic duo exposes the scam and the criminal syndicate and thus provides a perfect conclusion to a romantic thriller.

No Safe Zone is an attarctive read and beileve me..you are going to enjoy every bit of it.

Verdict- 8/10

Pros

Plot is enaging

Storytelling is highly matured.

Vocabulary is just wow.

Great Characterization.

Thriller element is really good.

Sexy , smart Heroine and a dashing Hero

Setting  in the bylanes of Delhi to the royal Palace of Rajasthan has been  well blended to the plot.

Cons 

I was looking for a great negative character.