Header

Friday, April 1, 2011

Fact:Mumbai Meri Jaan : 11 July 2006 Mumbai train



The 11 July 2006 Mumbai train bombings were a series of seven bomb blasts that took place over a period of 11 minutes on the Suburban Railway in Mumbai , capital city of the Indian state ofMaharashtra and the nation's financial capital. The bombs were set off in pressure cookers on trains plying the western line of the Suburban Railway network. 209 people lost their lives and over 700 were injured. According to Mumbai Police, the bombings were carried out by Lashkar-e-Toiba andStudents Islamic Movement of India (SIMI).

Pressure cookers with a 2.5 kg mixture of RDX and ammonium nitrate in each,were placed on trains on the western line of the suburban ("local") train network, which forms the backbone of the city's transport network. Pressure cookers were used in this bombing and other recent explosions to increase the afterburn in a thermobaric reaction, more powerful than conventional high explosives.The first blast reportedly took place at 18:24 IST (12:54 UTC), and the explosions continued for approximately eleven minutes, until 18:35,during the after-work rush hour. All the bombs had been placed in the first-class "general" compartments (some compartments are reserved for women, called "ladies" compartments) of several trains running from Churchgate, the city-centre end of the western railway line, to the western suburbs of the city. They exploded at or in the near vicinity of the suburban railway stations of Matunga Road, Mahim,Bandra, Khar Road, Jogeshwari, Bhayandar and Borivali.Home Minister Shivraj Patil told reporters that authorities had "some" information an attack was coming, "but place and time was not known".


Memorial service

A memorial service was held in Mumbai on 18 July at 6:25 pm local time — exactly one week after the blasts. President Abdul Kalam, his hand raised to his forehead in salute, led the two-minute silence as people lit candles and placed wreaths at Mahim station, one of the seven places on the suburban rail network hit by bombs. Sirens sounded across Mumbai marking the memorial service. People gathered at the site of the blasts, in railway stations on the city's Western Line and millions of people stopped talking, traffic came to a halt and cinemas interrupted films as a city that never stops observed a silence for bombing victims.

Mumbai Meri Jaan


Hmm another Hindi Movie that I saw recently that as been based on the 11 July 2006 Mumbai train bombings.. its something like DHOBI GHAT .. ..though DG movie is more on about the place Mumbai and how those 4 peoples lives revolve around the City , MMJ the story revolves around 5 people and how their life is effected and how they react to the situation to the 11 July 2006 Mumbai train bombings in their own way .....Towards the end the films shows how no matter what happens ..we as Indians will stand together as one nation , It also shows how easily you can misinterpret situations and people . The character Suresh (played by Kay Kay Menon) is a struggling computer tech who spends his time loafing at a local cafe and criticizing Muslims. ..easliy mistakes some young muslims men to have been apart of the bombings ..where in the end one of the Muslim  actually turns out be a  devotee of Sai Baba !...I would put it out as a good movie to watch ..again shows a lot about mumbai life and also gives you a bit of insight to the law and force department through the life is Sunil Kadam (Vijay Maurya), who struggles with the corruption and inefficiency of the Mumbai police force and his boss, Tukaram Patil (Paresh Rawal), who is nearing retirement. who before his retirement ..admits to the fact that he has not done his   duty as a true policemen and how he wished when he had the chance he could have done a lot better , The scene where Patil (Paresh Rawal) stops Suresh(Kay Kay Menon) and lectures him on communal harmony in the Police van is really good .which ,as a result Suresh befriends the Muslim man, who he suspected to be a terrorist . You kinda have immediate respect for Paresh Rawal's character ...regardless of the fact that he severed his duty as corrupt police officer .Loved the ending that showed .. doesn't matter what community or background we are from we as  INDIANS will stand united  at the face of difficult times 

Tuesday, March 29, 2011

Fact : Couples Retreat : Bora Bora



Bora Bora is an island in the Leeward group of the Society Islands of French Polynesia, an overseas collectivity of France in thePacific Ocean. The original name of the island in the Tahitian language might be better rendered as Pora Pora, meaning "First Born"; an early transcription found in 18th- and 19th-century accounts, is Bolabolla or Bollabolla. The island, located about 230 kilometres (140 mi) northwest of Papeete, is surrounded by a lagoon and a barrier reef. In the center of the island are the remnants of an extinct volcano rising to two peaks, Mount Pahia and Mount Otemanu, the highest point at 727 metres (2,385 ft).
Bora Bora is a major international tourist destination, famous for its aqua-centric luxury resorts. 

The island is served by Bora Bora Airport on Motu Mete in the north, with Air Tahiti providing daily flights to and from Papeete on Tahiti. The major settlement, Vaitape is on the western side of the main island, opposite the main channel into the lagoon. Produce of the island is mostly limited to what can be obtained from the sea and the plentiful coconut trees, which were historically of economic importance for copra. According to a census performed in 2008, the permanent population of Bora Bora is 8,880.



The island was first inhabited by Polynesian settlers around the 4th century. Its previous Polynesian name was Vava'u. The first European sighting was made by Jakob Roggeveen in 1722. James Cook sighted the island in 1770 and landed that same year. A London Missionary Society arrived in 1820 and founded a Protestant church in 1890. In 1842 Bora Bora was made a protectorate of France following the actions of Admiral Abel Aubert Dupetit Thouars.

World War II
Following the 7 December 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor by Japan, the United States enteredWorld War II. The US chose Bora Bora as a South Pacific military supply base, and an oil depot, airstrip, seaplane base, and defensive fortifications were constructed.

 Known as "Operation Bobcat", it maintained a supply force of nine ships, 20,000 tons of equipment and nearly 5,000 men. Seven massive naval cannons were set up at strategic points around the island to protect it against potential military attack.

However, the island saw no combat as the American presence on Bora Bora went uncontested over the course of the war. Although the base was officially closed on 2 June 1990, many American personnel chose to remain on the island.The World War II airstrip, which was never able to accommodate large aircraft, was French Polynesia's only international airport until Faa'a International Airport was opened in Papeete, Tahiti in 1990.

Today the island is mainly dependent on tourism. Over the last few years several resortshave been built on motu (small islands) surrounding the lagoon. 

Thirty years ago, Hotel Bora Bora built the first over-the-water (left Pic ) bungalows on stilts over the lagoon and today, over-water bungalows are a standard feature of most Bora Bora resorts.

The quality of those bungalows ranges from comparably cheap, basic accommodations to very luxurious - and expensive - places to stay. Most of the tourist destinations are aquacentric; however it is possible to visit attractions on land such as WWII cannons. 

Air Tahiti has five or six flights daily to theBora Bora Airport on Motu Mute from Tahiti (as well as from other islands).

Although French and Tahitian are the main languages spoken by the inhabitants, people in contact with tourists generally have some command of English. Most visitors to Bora Bora are American, Japanese, or European. Public transport on the island is non-existent. Rental cars and bicycles are the recommended method of transport. There are also small fun-cars for hire in Vaitape. Snorkeling and scuba diving in and around the lagoon of Bora Bora are popular activities.

Many species of sharks and rays inhabit the surrounding body of water.
There are a few dive operators on the island offering manta ray dives and also shark-feeding dives.

In addition to the existing islands of Bora Bora (called Motu in Taihitian), the new man-made motu of Motu Marfo has been added in the north-eastern corner of the lagoon on the property of the St. Regis Resort

Couples retreat

This movie when I mentioned it to my friend Kannan over phone , he said its bad one .... so stalled on this for a couple of days and didn't watch it  ..but then again curiosity got the better of me and did any ways ... Now  in a lot more ways , I am glad I saw it ..so now I will never ever want to see it again !! .. ( Kannan was right) ... ok  can't put down the movie all too bad .. there are some really funny scene in it .. over all the movie did  good at the box office but , I sure did not like  especially half of the movie.. the 1st part half was interesting and funny .. but not the  rest ... the movie has a whole .. I didn't like it,and towards the end was  kinda evident what would happen. This what wikipedia stated on it 



A comedy centered around four couples who settle into a tropical-island resort for a vacation. While one of the couples is there to work on the marriage, the others fail to realize that participation in the resort's therapy sessions is not optional.

The film received mostly negative reviews. On METACRITIC, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 top reviews from mainstream critics, the film received generally unfavorable reviews earning a score of 23% based on 27 reviews. Rotten Tomatoes gave the film an aggregate rating of 11% based on 145 reviews, with a rating score of 3.6 out of 10. The critical consensus is: "Despite a talented cast and some reliably pleasant interplay between Jon Favreau and Vince VaughnCouples Retreat leaves viewers stranded in an arid, mirthless comedy - THIS according to wikipedia 


This film was mainly shot on the BORA BORA  islands..


Sunday, March 20, 2011

Jessical Lal ( no one killed Jessica )

No one killed Jessica .....is it about the  Jessica murder case ..or more about how the  media if wanted can  bring about a change in the whole law and order system .. and that no one is above the law ..., However ... I am starting to see a good change in  Hindi films ... I stopped watching them earlier as I found the boy friend - girl friend routine an all too  common and boring formula ... but with movies like  this one   I am sure there are much  more coming out its breaking out from the  formula .. No one killed  Jessica  was actually an  refresher to the Jessica lall  murder case to me as I  followed it for a while in reading the  news papers ( as Habit which  I had trouble keeping it to ..but  coming back to it now a days) .. So  all in all the  movie I  felt as good .  nice change from the  usual Bollywood masala Rani Mukerejee's role as a hot shot strong pointed  reported is done well .. Half way in the movie  I could guess Rani's character would do something to turn things around .. but I guess it was more about how she does it that mattered ...

I  did some  reading up  on  tehelka.com .. impressed I must say , just read about how they  cracked down on a Mental asylum Doctor .. who falsely certified wives as MAD for husbands who wanted to  divorce them  !!![Price of Insanity]..they have also uncovered bigger operations and  landed some  huge catches , political ones!..  I  was interested in  that fact that  they  not only did just  huge political scams but also people oriented things   like the price of insanity  , Read up more for Tehelka here


If you want to read up on the  Jessica Lall murder case as how it really went on  ..here  it is on Wikipedia Murder_of_Jessica_Lall on wiki....as I read on  about the movie .. and the real  murder case and looked for what Jessica ( the real victim ) looked like this came up on  Google images   came up:- (below)

  We don't want Manu sharma to be hanged  Its a interview  on the Father  of the victim Ajit Lal .. and that made me realize a lot of incidents and even conversations  that was shown in the movie actually happened !

The real protest at India Gate :

Sabrina lal with the actress of NO ONE KILLED JESSICA 




Friday, March 18, 2011

No one Killed Jessica

Last week saw this Movie.. based on the real life incident of the  Jessica lall  murder case !! .. Man  it made me aware  more about the Tehlkha guys ... I  shall put in  more about the movie  later .. as I am now running out for time to get ready for work !

Wednesday, March 9, 2011

What is a Blood Diamond ?



Panning for diamonds in Sierra Leone.
In relation to diamond trading, conflict diamond (also called a converted diamondblood diamondhot diamond, or a war diamond) refers to a diamond mined in a war zone and sold to finance an insurgency, invading army's war efforts, or a warlord's activity, usually in Africa where around two-thirds of the world's diamonds are extracted.

Blood Diamond the Movie


After watching this Movie I  got know about  the Blood Diamonds , this is a good movie for those who are in to Diamonds a good eye opener .. a lot  of facts behind the glitter and glamor ....Me Mom just bought by  cousin a Diamond ring for her wedding .. Hmmm I wonder if my knew about the back end story of that diamond ...:-)!!

Blood Diamond is a 2006 drama film co-produced and directed by Edward Zwick and starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Jennifer Connelly andDjimon Hounsou. The title refers to blood diamonds, which are diamonds mined in African war zones and sold to finance conflicts, and thereby profit warlords and diamond companies across the world.
Set during the Sierra Leone Civil War in 1996-1999, the film shows a country torn apart by the struggle between government soldiers and rebel forces. It also portrays many of the atrocities of that war, including the rebels' amputation of people's hands to discourage them from voting in upcoming elections.
The film's ending, in which a conference is held concerning blood diamonds, is in reference to an actual meeting that took place in Kimberley, South Africa in 2000 and led to the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme, which seeks to certify the origin of diamonds in order to curb the trade in conflict diamonds. The film was nominated for five Academy Awards, including Best Actor (DiCaprio) and Best Supporting Actor (Hounsou). [ Extracted from  wiki ]


Tuesday, March 8, 2011

Fact on Dhobi Ghat

Here is  something I didn't know about ...so much for my  GK on My own mother land !!!! ..

From Wiki :


A place in India, where local washer men wash clothes [open air laundromat] is called Dhobi Ghat.Dhobi Ghat is a well known place in Mumbai. The washers locally known as Dhobis work in open to wash the clothes from Mumbai's hotels and hospitals. There are row upon row of open-air concrete wash pens, each fitted with its own flogging stone. Termed as the world's largest outdoor laundry Dhobi Ghat is a very popular attraction among foreign tourists.


The word Dhobi Ghat is used all over India to refer to any place where many washers are present.

It is located next to Mahalaxmi Station on Western Railway on Saat Rasta roundabout. It can be easily seen from flyover bridge of Mahalaxmi station. 


A bollywood movie of the same name, Dhobi Ghat (film), was released on 21 January, 2011 in India. ( NOW THAT I KNOW !!!) 





Dhobi Ghat



I  recently saw the Film Dhobi Ghat .. to be honest .. I can't say it moved me as much as Aamir Khans other ones like 3idiots and Peepli live , I guess it was in a different class ..I did like the  camera work  coz of my liking towards hand held camera move like amateurish ...Hmmm. sorta like the  3d move surfs up ..  but then again  though the concept was nice , to me it didnt lead me anywhere .. May be this all becoz I expected a bit too much from the  film . .Having said that , Aamir Khans recent  films was always  nice watch  ..  no complaints though :-), But I guess its more about the City Mumbai and different lives people live there rather than the  characters them selves much  , I also did like the the photography in  it  , I  was in  this city last April and I  still  as then  believe my visit to this place was way too short ...watching this picture only drove that feeling in ...:-)..I will watch it again .

The Image is from IMDb

Here is link to from  IMDb http://www.imdb.com/video/screenplay/vi2361105177/  gives a bit insight in to behind the scenes .

Share

Twitter Delicious Facebook Digg Stumbleupon Favorites More