I own a Santro car, that has been immaculately maintained ever since I bought it in 2003. Love the car. While trying to renew the car's insurance, I was told that I would need to renew the vehicle registration (or RC book as its commonly known), since the registration validity is only for 15 years. So here's what I went through. Hope it helps anyone who want to renew their registration. It's also called the fitness certificate. 1. I went to the RTO website and noted down the requirements, listed here . 2. I first called the RTO (Yelahanka) to find out if this could be done online. They said no, I need to go there in person, along with my car. And that the process takes about 30 minutes. 3. So I went on a Monday morning, and the whole process took about three hours. And it was exasperating! 4. There's always somethings they never tell you upfront. They materialize slowly. 5. First, one needs a 'paper file' to keep all the documents in one place. On...
In November 2017, I'd written how important 2018 was for Indian cricket. Here's a follow-up. Well, the first of those tours happened in March - South Africa. And India was in a winning position in all the three tests, but managed to win only one, to ultimately lose the series 2-1. The other two matches we lost were purely down to focus and match awareness. So, the tally for 2018 stands at LLW. 2 wins and 1 loss. We are now at the cusp of the second big series this year, England. The prospect is mouth-watering, with a full 5 match series, perhaps for the very first time. I think our batting will be alright, but the concern for me is the bowling, especially the fast bowlers. With Bumrah and Bhuvi down with injuries, we're left with the lower capabilities of Ishant, Shami and Umesh. Having said that, my prediction for the series? 2-2 after 4 tests with the 5th being a decider. Watch this space if my prediction comes true!
Sanju (2018) Review – A Good Film, Without Conviction Sanju (2018): A Good Film, Without Conviction Third good movie in a row in 2018! But I call Sanju a good movie without conviction. It’s been a week since I saw Sanju — twice — and I’ve been grappling with myself over how this film should be rated. While sipping ginger-laced chai on my balcony, it finally dawned on me why I felt so conflicted. This is a film that wants to move you, inspire you, and absolve its protagonist — and it mostly succeeds. But it does so by sanding down edges that perhaps should have remained rough. The Problems Are Real To begin with, the movie has many flaws — and they are not small ones. There are very few scenes where Ranbir Kapoor actually looks or acts like Sanjay Dutt. The rest is filled in generously by our imagination. The make-up used to age Sanju is unintentionally comic. That’s what happens when prosthetics are ov...
Veere Di Wedding Review – A Loud, Messy, Necessary Film Veere Di Wedding: Bollywood, What’s Gotten Into You? Two good movies in as many weeks! Bollywood, what’s gotten into you? And not just good — both female-oriented, and mercifully away from the tired old formula. No weepy violins. No tragic martyrdom. No compulsory moral sermon masquerading as empowerment. I loved this movie. Totally. Finally, Women Who Are Allowed to Be Messy Not that there’s a particularly feminine bone in me — but finally, here’s a film that allows Indian women to express themselves without being melodramatic or solemn about it. Think of the great “female-oriented” films of yore: Khoon Bhari Maang , Mother India , and the whole lineage of suffering-as-strength cinema. Ugh, ugh. Veere Di Wedding doesn’t want your sympathy. It wants your attention. There’s a beautiful nonchalance about the four central characters. They’re not trying to repr...
What does this picture look like to you? Infrastructure for the 'Silicon Valley of the East'? Infrastructure for a 'Global City'? Infrastructure of the capital of a state? Infrastructure of a '21st century Indian City'? None of the above. How shambolic is this? I mean, when it rains, the power is cut off. And with this creaking, dilapidated infrastructure, how can we be called a modern and progressive city. Hope some official takes his/her time off filling their coffers and takes action.
Raazi Review – A Rare Bollywood Spy Film With Restraint Raazi: When War Is the Only Enemy I’ve always maintained that when Bollywood veers away from its eternal boy-meets-girl obsession — which, let’s be honest, is about 99% of the time — the results are usually rewarding. Raazi is no exception. Alia Bhatt, Actor — Not Star Alia Bhatt is a seriously good actor. After Highway and Udta Punjab , Raazi gives her yet another opportunity to showcase her range — restraint over histrionics, internalised fear over loud drama. This is not a performance that screams for attention. It quietly earns it. That said, the true star of the film is not Alia Bhatt. The Real Hero: Script and Screenplay The real triumph of Raazi lies in its writing. The script and screenplay are tight, taut, and remarkably disciplined. There is tension without manipulation, emotion without sentimentality, and patriotism without chest-thumping...
Update on 1-Jun-2018 The NIOS call centre says that the April 2018 results might be released any day until the 7th of June. Fingers crossed! 30-May-2018 According to the NIOS call centre, the April 2018 exam results for 10th and 12th will be announced on 31st May, 2018. Time is unknown, but date is confirmed, i.e. Thursday, 31-May-2018. To check results, keep the enrollment number handy and visit www.nios.ac.in . Click on results, and enter the enrollment number. All the best!
Padmaavat Review: Grandeur Without Soul | Sachit Murthy Such were the quality of movies in 2017 that Pink was the only one I saw in a theatre. Padmaavat was the first Hindi film of 2018 that I watched with family, and expectations were naturally high — given the controversy, the scale, and Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s reputation for visual opulence. Observations Overstretched runtime: At 2 hours and 45 minutes, Padmaavat tests patience. Several sequences — especially the indulgent visual montages — linger far longer than they should. With tighter editing, this film could comfortably have been a crisp two-hour experience without losing any emotional or narrative impact. Bhansali and the period-drama fatigue: There is a sense that even Bhansali himself might be weary of the genre he once mastered. The trademark slow-motion walks, symmetrical frames, and operatic background score feel more like a checklist than inspiration. The spark that onc...
After a long time, I got the opportunity of transiting through the famous DXB airport. The last few years, I've been using Europe to transit to the US, but my crazy travel itinerary forced me to route via Dubai. It's an incredibly busy airport and probably has the most global connections compared to any other airport. But sweet heavens, it is quite expensive. Sample this, a cup of ordinary coffee is $5.50 and everyone carries only Evian water, which sets you back by another $7. That's quite something to pay for coffee and water. I wonder why it's so expensive. Perhaps the rental is high at the airport? Or the restaurants pay a hefty transaction fee to the airport? Who knows, but the airport feels like a pocket pincher. Wonder if other transiters feel the same?