Are we seeing a BCCI Carrom Ball? - Part 2

Everyone will indelibly remember the dismal performance of our Indian team in the 2007 WC where they had to exit in the very first round after a shocking defeat to the Bangladesh team. But, the 2007 edition was also the one where ticket sales and viewership plummeted in the Caribbean Seas due to several reasons most notably being the ironclad fact that the Indian team's sudden departure from the Calypso. I am not making this up. When India exited the 2009 T20 WC, TV viewership declined.

                                                Check out Anisha Motwani's comments

Similarly, the viewership skies upwards to Exosphere @ Superman's flying speed whenever there is an Indo-Pak clash.

  288 MILLIONNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN cortexes hammered in by the ads

But, when you have watched that match closely, you would have found that the Pakistani fielders dropped many catches off Tendulkar. I am 110% positive that everyone would have heaved a big sigh of relief and cheered the Little Master like me whenever the fielders spilled their chances. Sadly, there is yet another spin to it. I did not take it seriously when news broke out that the match was fixed. However, 6 years has passed since the massive emotional event and many a pattern has been established which will certainly sow the seeds of suspicion in the minds of any logical, reasoning and rational person. I shall furnish out the pattern but kindly read the explosive article before it. 

                                                             The article is a nuclear drop..!

The pattern is as follows as compiled and curated by me from extensive research:

Tournament	Year	Hosted By	Finals
Champions Trophy	2013	England	India Vs Eng
World Cup	2011	India	India  Vs SL
World Cup	2015	Australia/New Zealand	Australia Vs NZ
Asia Cup	2013	Bangladesh	Pak Vs Bangladesh
Asia Cup	2014	Bangladesh	SL Vs Pak
Asia Cup	2016	Bangladesh	India Vs Pak
T20 WC	2012	Sri Lanka	SL Vs WI
T20 WC	2014	Bangladesh	SL Vs India
T20 WC	2016	India	WI Vs Eng

A back of the envelope calculation reveals that in the major tournys played since 2011, it is more than 50% of the time that a host team has featured in the finals barring their winning/losing the game. Not to mention that SA, WI and Aus tri series held @ WI in 2016. No Surprises. WI was in the final and it was against Aus.

Also, Afghanistan was 2-0 in the series against Ireland held in India. Suddenly, Ireland won the next 2 matches and it went into a decider much like the India-Australia test series. I am not undermining Afghanistan series triumph or India's victory or the heroics collectively exhibited by the Men-in-Blue, okay Men-in-White! 

But, with IPL around the corner, a massive win against the Number 2 team as the mighty Australians will categorically, convincingly and markedly increase the market value of the ads and the players for the next one year especially with the Champions Trophy around the corner and the Indian Team's stellar success under Kohli's positive aggression  leadership in this season.

Economic Times ensured that my workload is reduced by half in breaking down these indisputable and irrevocable numbers.

  

TARGET: 1300 crores in 2017

Though Kohli might have missed out in the Oz Series, it is really unfair of some critics to pan him down when he has splendiferously delivered his goods consistently. It is only when you get out onto the field and play under the duress of the grueling hot sun that people will understand the tremendous difficulty.

I have not played cricket on a professional level yet I have experienced the scorching torture of the sun sapping away the heat from your body and wearing you out like how Dravid makes the bowlers tire. It is the same as saying that writing a blog is extremely easy. But, when you actually sit down to type out or write an unbiased, neutral and objective write-up, then you will know the travails and how arduous it is to bring out the entire thought process revolving around a theme to the fore.

Need I say more.. or lessssss?  That's a solid, textbook defense to Doctorate providers

In this case, this blog is about the fact, using hard core facts, as to whether the ICC, BCCI and other cricketing bodies are hand in glove with each other by misusing, abusing and exploiting the keen, honest, genuine and earnest sentiments of cricket lovers just to extend their personal cash reserves at our expenses - Financial, Mental, Physical and mainly Emotional cost. 

I am neither a big time nor a small time conspiracy theorist. In fact, I used to wonder how the real CTs work. All I have done here is to present the current situation AS-IS with the help of figures, tables, numbers, quotes and established patterns.

I leave it to you to better discretion and bright minds whether the matches are being fixed by the upper rungs in the hierarchy and we are all made fools in one go by the complete Cricketing Bureaucracy.

                                                              

                                                                   X---Concluded---X

Disclaimer:

This blog is not intended to discredit, disgrace, disrepute, malign or defame BCCI or ICC or any other Cricket Board or any player in any manner whatsoever. I have said and presented the data as clearly as possible allowing no room for any misinterpretation. Any wanted, warranted or unwanted conclusions or inferences derived is solely the reader's responsibility and not mine.

PS 1:

Kohli will achieve even greater heights as a captain if he abstains from repeating the same antics as his opponents by firmly setting a better example to our team and millions of youngsters who see him as their idol just like MSD. Some might perceive his mirroring of the opponent's rile up, mock or taunt to be childish and immature when he is way beyond that. Why to get an unnecessary bad name when you have excellent qualities?

PS 2:
I am neither suffering from apophenia nor banged my head against a wall to conjure up the data to suit my theory.

PS 3:
I am not saying by any stretch of imagination that I am ONLY factually right or realistically wrong. The data is accessible for you to verify, cross-verify and validate.

Are we seeing a BCCI Carrom Ball? - Part 1

The moment when a person tells us "Well. And That's My Theory" especially underlining the word "Theory", most of us give him/her an ugly, cold, distasteful and a revolting look but disguise and sugar coat it by saying "Ah! Fantastic One" and then back talk by saying to anyone who is within our earshot "He/She and their stupid theories" emphasizing again on the word "Theory".

Almost everyone has developed a natural sturdy aversion or strong mutinous reaction whenever someone mentions the "T" word in the mainstream to the extent that it has percolated to the core where many raise their eyebrows and give a disdainful smirk when they hear the "T" word even in a scientific context. You don't have to believe me but how many of you have said "It's just a theory. Forget it". That's the level of deep negative connotation the word is disgustingly inbuilt into your conscious and subconscious perceptions just like how many have primed and equated our own ancient, insight rich and wisdom sated Shastras and Vedas as humbug when in reality the Vedas and Shastras are nothing but science in its pure and distilled form. How do I explain it further?  There is an excellent video which echoes my thoughts concisely and precisely:

You surely don't want to miss this good 7 minute mind-altering and thought cleansing elementary video

So, it is established now that a "Theory" is not bad at all if it is based on solid data, evidences and proofs that are empirically tested and available in the open universe around us. We will go down a level further in the escalator about Conspiracy Theory (CT). As how I see it, CTs expand our thinking process that challenges the conventional and prevailing information which are gluttonously fed to us on a consistent basis by the media** who always try to divert our focus and attention from the main, existing and real issue which actually happened thus distractimg us like a sexy Item Number wherein the Femme Fatales set the stage on fire. No, they are not Hanuman Bhakts!

Condoning my worst possible PJ, Conspiracy Theories are the ideal fodder to titillate a dull and boring conversation. The veracity of CJs are undoubtedly questionable. Nevertheless, the possibility of its existence is true as there is an element of infinitesimal probability involved though smaller than the smallest bacteria! If you are an open-minded person, that specific CJ should be explored for testing their validity, however wild or unimaginable. You should not forget that a great scientist as Galileo was branded as a heretic as his idea was against the appeal of the masses when he propounded that the Earth revolved around the Sun which was later proved to be true. Inference, the MAJORITY at that point of time were WRONG as far as this significant point was concerned. The popular is not always right. And the right is not always popular. History has proved us time and again.

How does theory and conspiracy theory are pertinent to a Cash Empire as BCCI? I will get to it soon. Before that, let us try to answer a few tough, hard and necessary questions so that we smoothly embark on this journey together.

Why do you watch a cricket match?
a) You love the sport - Cricket.
b) You couldn't become a cricketer. So, you give your ideas, tactics and strategies whenever you watch one.
c)  For a particularly successful team or an outstanding individual or a glamorous host like Mandira Bedi.
d) Dad and Granddad says/said so!
e) My friends are seeing it. I will also see it to not to be left out. Peer Pressure.
f) National Sport or Most Followed Game and It's my goddamn brilliant country that is being represented. I want them to win at any cost.
g) Your husband/wife/BF/GF/Crush watches. So, you mimic them - whether you know the sport or not!
h) A combination of the above reasons.
i) Any other reason apart from the specified. Well, I couldn't think or imagine anything further!

The next extremely important question:

When will a person definitely watch a cricket match?
a)  A series is evenly poised like 1-1 and the match heads into the decider.
b) A hotly contested game or series having lots of twists and turns like a thrilling roller ride irrespective of the outcome.
c) Semi-Finals and Finals especially when the match is held in the host country and the hosts are in the Semis and Finals.
d) Forced to watch due to 'n' number of reasons.
e) For bet's sake or have lost a bet.
f) You can add more reasons when you are absolutely sure as to when a person would not miss a match even if their lives depended on something else.

Why am I giving a detailed exposition on the mechanics as to the whys and wherefores to a Cricket Match?

Simple. As you all know that BCCI is a private organization who controls and coordinates the cricketing activities in our cricket-crazed land of 1.3 Billion population. From a Business Standpoint, 130 crore** ardent spectators, who are internally drenched with intense and deep reverence for a sport like cricket, is simply too good an opportunity to miss out for earning the top dollars, Okay rupee! So, if a person can figure out, just like how I did, as to what motivates and propels the passionate aficionados to compulsorily make them to enjoy a match, the authorities in the top echelons can wallow in and swallow the money by emotional extraction and exploitation from the people's love for the Gentlemen's Game.

Now, people who hate and abhor Marketing and Advertising will cite that the ads on the TV or over the Internet also force the consumers to purchase their products by persuasive messages. Unfortunately, that is a common misperception just like the "T" word.  Marketing respects the free will of the individuals and gives the complete freedom to the customers to buy or not to buy an advertised product or service unlike in the earlier situation where all of us might be forced against our free will to watch a match just to fill in the coffers of the already deep pockets of BCCI.

"Are you suggesting that BCCI fixes the matches played by India"? I can hear your mind voice shrieking like a banshee through my screen. It will be answered soon.

                                                               
                                                        X---To Be Concluded---X

media** ---> Not all media are biased, prejudiced, stereotyped, mislead or cherry pick in their attitude when it comes to reportage of disseminating essential information to the public.

130 crore** ---> Likewise, not all the 130 crore Indians will like or love the game of Cricket. However, there are countless Indians living across the globe who sacrifice their sleep by either waking up early or staying up till late night due to time differences to catch their favorite team hitting the turf instead of them hitting their sacks. Basically, the entire world may be enslaved at the smartness of the shrewd and astute BCCI.

For more on Kohli's leadership and the concluding part which includes the Earth Shattering Indo-Pak WC 2011 Match Fixing Report, you are merely one click away.

                             Are we seeing a BCCI Carrom Ball? - Concluding Part  😎 😊😊

Logan - Eternally Adamantined in our Hearts! - Part 2

Though Deadpool was R-rated as well, the funniness and quirky nature of the character of the protagonist saw to it that the blood and gore was seen in a lighter vein, pun intended, unlike in Logan where it was a savage carnage at its violent best.

Undoubtedly, it was Hugh Jackman (HJ) who carried the entire film on his shoulders, okay claws! as the tired-of-life, vulnerable and when-will-I-die Logan and also as the short-cropped, mean killing machine X-24. I couldn't believe that HJ was only 48 yrs old on seeing the beefy and hulky X-24. It was really astounding and amazing to watch him in such a way at that age. He is indeed a source of enormous inspiration to all those who hit the gym regularly.

Just check out his workout regime here:

                                                    Wolverine Body Build Up

The Oscars have always given the cold shoulder to superhero genres but if one person who is deserved and merited to warrant a nomination from the superhero genre, then it has got to be HJ for the way he had given a stellar acting with his physique and expressions for both the roles in his swansong despite battling a cancer. Also, let me break up some numbers as to the revenue generated by the X-Men Franchise:

a) X-Men Franchise (10 films including Deadpool ): $4.6 Billion

b) Deadpool's Cume: $784 Million

c) Only Featuring Wolverine:  3 Films
d) B.O. Total of The Wolverine Spin-offs: $790 Million (excluding Logan's collection)

e) Weekend collection, Logan: $237 Million (and Counting!) 

There was time in the past when our batting maestro, Sachin Tendulkar, was the face of Indian Cricket.

Likewise, HJ was the darling of the masses in the X-Men Franchise. So, Yes. The Wolverine has been chiefly instrumental and played a pivotal force in garnering close to $4 Billion when we do simple math here with HJ cashing in on approximately $1 Billion single-handedly. What more could the Oscar committee require than these mind-boggling numbers and a person who has given his everything for 17 solid years especially in his curtain call 'Logan'. This should at least convince the jury of an exception clause, pun intended, for the Best Actor Nomination as HJ has worked himself to the bones, literally!

Can there be another Sachin? No. Could there be a Messi in future. Def Not. Any possibility of another Fedex? Hell Negative. But, Wolverine? Certainly Yes as the producers will surely want to rake in the extra moolah on the brand. Unfortunately, whoever reprises the role, they would have an extremely hard time convincing the fans that they are The Wolverine!

Just like the Adamantine structure that is ingrained into Logan's body, the image of HJ as the Wolverine is strongly, deeply and fiercely engraved in the sands of time for the fashion in which he has lived and immortalized the character. 

Mathematically speaking,

                                                   Wolverine = Hugh Jackman. Period.

How the Undertaker uses his signature move "The Last Ride" to create the right impact to win on a high, when Laura changed the "Cross" into an "X", the last possible chance to see the man don the ultra-sexy hairdo with his awesome sideburn and beard also got buried in the ground but not without entertaining everyone to the core in his Last Ride.

R.I.P James Howlett.

You are not just a survivor anymore. But, A caring leader.

                                                          

                                                                    X---Concluded---X

                               

PS:
I am neither a Marvel or DC fan but a neutral spectator who loves good superhero movies like the Dark Knight, Avengers 1, Captain America 2,3, Deadpool, Ant-Man, Guardians of Galaxy and watches other superhero movies with the hope that they are good!

You can check out my reviews of:

a) X-Men Apocalypse
b) Captain America Civil War
c) Suicide Squad

Logan - Eternally Adamantined in our Hearts! - Part 1

                         
                              Hugh Jackman - You are inimitable. Adios The Wolverine..!

This lump-in-the-throat tribute video was not made by me but a fan in the DC and Marvel world. It summed up superbly the wonderful journey not only for the Wolverine but also for each and every one of us who had assiduously followed in his footsteps.

Now, let us begin here......

Just imagine a scenario where there are no rules and laws in our present society and the world. Confusion and chaos will definitely ensure that anarchy ensues in an uncontrolled and rampant manner. But, being an idealist, I shall you give one more scenario. As there are no rules, laws and bye-laws to guide the proper actions of a person, it means that the freedom is at the mercy and behest of an individual and they can do whatever they seem and deem fit to be appropriate, right and falsely right as per their whims and fancies which is solely based on their strength of morality, intensity of character, degree of actionable actions and depth of personal integrity.

Yet, when all the people consciously choose to make good use of their unchecked and unsuppressed liberty for the betterment of others and also for themselves in the process, it is only then that our society has really reached a level of pristine evolvement and personal progress wherein the person is not only self-aware, self-reflective and self-corrective but also truly independent yet dependent in terms of emotional, physical, psychological, spiritual, financial and material wealth. Some might aver that this is impossible to achieve but as I see, it is difficult but certainly not impossible as only an idealist can help others to grow and prosper. So, how does freedom fit into the context of a movie as Logan?

Simple. For close to 2 decades, Wolverine has enthralled us on the big screens with his ripped bod, menacing expressions, snazzy looks, brash behavior along with those uber-cool claws. You simply cannot hate this guy how much ever mean or grumpy or cynic or sarky that he is on the screen while it lasted.

Still, I had always felt that this is one character in the X-Men series which was utterly under utilized by not realizing the character's fullest potential. I couldn't pinpoint and articulate the reason accurately until Logan was released last week. Oh. Man. And Woman. And Gawwddddddddddddd.

The moment the director was given the go-ahead to do a R-rated film, Mangold had the complete latitude to stitch together a hardcore bloody, realistic, violent and tear-jerking storyline to give an immensely fitting farewell to one of the most stylish characters in the X- Men franchise.

Unless and until that absolute and unlimited creative freedom hadn't been dictated to the director, Mangold wouldn't have been able to given us such a beautifully crafted, engagingly brutal, rib-tickling and ossumatic gripping emotional adieu which ended not just mine but also your 2 decade long fervent fandom with the Wolverine and his strong-headed antics. Mangold - You are indeed a Man of Gold! to unleash the latent feral power of the beast in its raw and uninhibited form which was exactly how the Wolverine should have been portrayed since his journey began in the 2000s.

Everyone knew that Hugh Jackman has finally hung up his shoes, Okay claws!, before we stepped into the theatre. So, the element of surprise that he will be dead in Logan is completely annulled. But, how it happens is wonderfully presented in an exciting, exhilarating, wowing and tearful manner. I had the slight apprehension that Logan might take the road of X-Men Apocalypse or its other contemporaries with their mindless, thoughtless, meaningless, purposeless and needless orgy of VFX vomit on the silver screen. Luckily, sanity prevailed upon the director and his team by seeing to it that the CGIs lucidly blended with the screenplay instead of conspicuously standing out like a sore finger!

Likewise, Mangold had the tension and suspense build up, slowly and steadily, and piqued my curiosity to the point my mind voice was shouting internally "What the hell is Laura's specialty?". And when Laura emerged from the ramshackled warehouse throwing the severed head, it was one of the most badass scenes in a while. I was one amongst the many who hollered in the theatre when her two sets of claws were shown for the first time.

Speaking of  Laura, the cute little devil has given a splendid performance on par with Lyanna Mormont from the Game of Thrones. I wondered for a moment what would have happened if there had been a cross-over then and the duo had met! Similarly, the way by which she was playing around with her colorful pink shades to infuriate Logan was too good. Extra hats-off to Mangold for imagining and executing such a scene to create pure humor at the right places.

As we are on the topic of humor, Mangold also made sure that the comedy is situational-based unlike Deadpool which heavily relied upon profanity, obscenity and expletives. Take for example. The scene where Logan asks Prof. X. whether he had his medicines in the car. It did not just evoke laughter but also showcased a tremendous sense of emotions underlying the scene where it seemed like Logan saw Prof. X as an aged father more than a mentor and the latter saw him as a son than a mentee. Similarly, where the kids trim Logan's beard and he sees himself in the mirror was not only scream-worthy but also a fan delight.  Also, the scene where Logan learns that Laura could actually speak was priceless or the manner in which he takes a dig at the X-Men comics to name a few hilarious of them.

                                                                  X---To be concluded---X


PS:
If you have been wondering and searching where Sachin and FedEx are on this blog, they are in:
                                                                             Part 2

The Cryptic Aura of the Golden Glee

You wake up in the morning. Get nattily dressed and scoot off to work, grudgingly, despite the groaning Monday Blues which hits you swiftly on the face like a slammed door. You have no recollection whatsoever how your ephemeral weekend just vanished like a trace of bullet. Voila! But, you are there sitting smartly in your workplace and waiting for your boss to give his clarion call for the agenda of the day which will set in motion a significant chain of events that will eventually last for a week, month, quarter and, ultimately, the year! 

Come hell or high water, you have your heart set on the objectives, however realistic or unrealistic, and achieve it with flying colors by keeping your nose to the grindstone and hanging in there till the very end until you can see the 'd' in 'end'! I am sure you would have or are undergoing or will be undergoing this situation in your life. And when you receive the 'Outstanding Performer Award' (OPA) after you have stopped at nothing to meet your yearly targets, you experience a colossal swell of untold pride and unspeakable happiness which literally makes you dumb with joy!

The Oscars are the Corporate equivalent of 'OPA' to actors and actresses who sweat it out in difficult conditions and go to great pains to make true-to-life movie with their expressions. For all those romance birds, February symbolises Valentine's Day. But, to ardent movies buffs, the second month of the year connotes that the best in the business meant business for their better part of 365/366 days spent on punishing schedules and exacting directors. 

Take for example. Leonardo Di Caprio. Whenever his name gets nominated in the Best Actor category, his fans are more delighted than him for the way he transforms himself on the screen. Though it was just fleeting, no one can forget the brief and impact cameo he played in the Django Unchained. 

For such a versatile actor to be snubbed time and again by the Jury, the Revenant finally broke the damned jinx. Please do check out my review here: Di Cap's capping moment..! 

The year is 2017. Yeah. The Present One. Everyone is gung ho about 'La La Land'. Mind you. The film is as fantastic as the songs and performances in the movie which thoroughly warms the cockles of your heart despite the climax silent nod between the 2 lead actors which was akin to 'Whiplash's end. 

                                           The Eye Lock - Fletcher - One of my favoo char

Even though the 'La La Land' is the overpowering favorite and predicted to sweep the majority of the Oscars this year, 'The Hacksaw Ridge' would be a better option keeping the best interests of the American people as far as the Best Picture is concerned. The reason is quite simple.

The Hacksaw Ridge is the perfect movie that will galvanize those who are averse to war by taking Doss as a prime motivation to see to it that the great American boundary is not infringed by any manner and means. Also, with the current murder of an Indian in Kansas, the committee could also show the world that not all Americans are hate-mongers but rather positive and friendly people by handing over the award to 'The Hacksaw Ridge' as there is a particular scene in the movie where Doss also saves the Japanese even in the heat of fire and death.

Likewise, the Jury has almost at all times preferred 'War Films' that has highlighted the American soldiers in good light, pun intended. The rationale behind it is also extremely valid as the war-based movies will be a source of abounding inspiration for the young men and women to gallantly involve themselves to serve their country in their best abilities and also that the majority of the voters come from that era.

I am not making up this theory. 17 war-based movies in the past have won the Oscars till date. Though not all war-themed nominated movies have gone all the way like Zero Dark Thirty, there have been 17 years till 2016 where the Jury favored war dramas thus deeply establishing the pattern and when you put yourself in the Jury's shoes - Of course, you want your country to do better and be the best so that the young people can look up to your country as the greatest thing that could have ever happened in the world. When you put two and two together, the 'why' to the occurrence of pattern was as simple as counting numbers on the fingers.

Patterns are as extremely powerful as Veritaserum potion in the Harry Potter. They reveal the hidden and private secrets when you know how to rightly join the dots. It is no wonder that data mining will be the subject and object of hot topic even in the coming years as it is a complete money spinner when you understand the dynamics and the nuts and bolts of the existence of a pattern. But, when you essentially understand the 'why' part, you can bend that particular pattern to your will as long as the core motivation that drives the pattern is interpreted correctly.

I will just give an example here. As we are on the eve of the Oscars, with the above pattern decoded and its intrinsic reason, anyone can close their eyes (Read: Me) and accurately predict to 99% certainty that 'Dunkirk' will win the Oscar in 2018 either for the Best Picture or Best Director even though the movie has not been released in the first place. 

One director in the contemporary age who deserves to hold the glittery aureate is Christopher Nolan, who like Dicaprio, has been at the receiving end from the panel for quite some time now. I am sure everyone would be familiar with the phrase 'Dunkirk spirit' and its origin. So, there is no element of surprise that the 'Inception and The Dark Knight Trilogy' ace director has set his eyes on the golden trophy once again after his magnum opus 'Interstellar' failed to generate and gather enough appreciation for him to hold the coveted award. 

Only Nolan will know for sure whether he was 'Oscar Baiting' when he made 'Interstellar' which interweaves and infuses Sci-Fi and Family - one of  America's fundamental core values - to the fore. Oh. By the way, the Jury has always had a soft spot for films revolving around familial sentiments as well. Prime Examples would be ET, Babe etc.

By having 'Dunkirk's release in July, Nolan has wisely** and effectively escaped from the clutches of those who cries 'Oscar Bait' whenever a film hits the screen by December with the sole intention to grasp the attention like the case of The King's Speech. You can check it out at your own leisure how The King's Speech ticked all the boxes for the ideal 'Oscar Bait' recipe. The facts speak for themselves.

Whatever maybe the case, it is the artists who put in their herculean efforts to bring life to the character and soul to the script to provide sheer delight to the audiences and wins at the end of the day along with their entire team who have also worked tirelessly on and off the stage.

May the best bait, I mean film, win.

Whatever it is, Chris Nolan is worthy enough to hold the coveted award and make his speech that's been due for a long while.

PS:

All the opinions like those on 'The Hacksaw Ridge' and Chris Nolan are solely mine by combining the current and long-standing facts and patterns that have been firmly put out into the open by the Oscar Jury whenever they had either nominated a film or given it the much vaunted "Preciouuuuuuussssssssssssssss" status. 

PS 2:

** =>  I said "wisely" because it could also mean that Nolan might have had framed a fantastic strategy in such a manner that Dunkirk is released intentionally in July and not in December so that the bashers do not accuse him of 'Oscar Baiting' when the Academy Awards return in 2018.

PS 3:
'Dunkirk' is yet another war film that happened really during the second world war. So, is this another 'Oscar Baiting' by Nolan?? Only time will tell.

PS 4:
All the facts and patterns have been unearthed and inferred with the help of Google. And so are the relevant memes.

Planet Earth 2...So Rivetiinnnnggggggg....Part 2

Ten years down the line and with the number of episodes halved from the previous Season, Planet Earth 2 embarked on a grand mission to showcase the awe-inspiring and real wonders that are happening in the different, remote, isolated and inaccessible parts of our world just like its predecessor. However, there was to be a monumental change in the way the pristine and natural events were played out in the current season. And the change was for the better. In fact, best. So, how did the producers differentiate themselves in PE 2?

PE 1 was high on facts and information but less on raw muscly action. The reverse was to happen in PE 2. It was not that PE 2 was starved off or dieting on facts but the level to which the attention was focussed and concentrated on the jaw-dropping ventures of the sturdy and extremely powerful animals, birds, reptiles etc. in their feral setting was truly breath-taking to say the least. I will elaborate on this later. But, first things first.

From Islands to Mountains to Cities, the entire crew along with the ever magical and appropriate rhythmic tones of Sir David Attenborough definitely ensured that the viewers were swept off their feet completely. By a Huge margin as well. The 4K catapulted the visual experience especially the close-up shots of the untamed and unbridled domicilians to mind-boggling richness that it surely left the audiences craving for more like a big, creamy Black Forest! 

It would be highly impudent and imprudent if I were to leave out the stellar background score by Oscar Award winner Hans Zimmer (Remember Lion King, Pirates of Carribean, The Dark Knight, Inception??) who has literally stringed up with his mesmerizing beats which elevated the entire mood of the scenes to another dimension just like the intensely tense, incredibly exciting and big time tautly nervy music when the Iguana escaped from the clutches of the snakes. Likewise, the complete team of PE 2 have gone the extra mile, pun intended, and above and beyond the call of duty when it comes to patiently waiting and capturing the wildness in their wilderness when the redoubtable animals were engaged in fascinating brutal action that I am positively sure those individuals would have felt they were privileged to witness such a wondrous spectacle in their lives at that moment of reality. 

Speaking of spectacles, it would be extremely presumptuous on my part if due credits were not given to the way the camera men had tremendously risked their lives to shoot the spine-chilling and absorbing footages when the majestic beasts were in full throttle for survival. Take for example. We have heard and used the term "Hawk's eye view". But, these guys have literally made it possible when they closely glided behind a swiftly swooping magnificent eagle in the harsh, snow-filled and cold terrains of the mountains when it was in search of its prey. It was simply sublime to see how an eagle sees from such a high ground! Of course, the men would have been obesely paid for their audacious clicks. Still, it takes immense guts to be face to face with a glowering leopard or be frozen to death awaiting in a tent for the arrival of the eagles by enticing and attracting them with a carcass.

There have been lots of hilarious moments, adrenaline rushing epic scenes, stunning chases, sensational escapes and formidable fights during the course of all the episodes. The standout, according to me, are as follows:

1) The top honors has got to go to the baby Iguana who is naturally put under a life and death situation, literally, as soon as he opens up his eyes but desperately fights his way out to live another day amidst the multitudes of crawling of the merciless and ruthless snakes waiting in ambush for their prey. I still have no idea how the troop managed to be at the right place at the right time to get such an incredible shot. Maybe a divine prophecy?

2) The battle of supremacy for the ladies and the waterhole between the beautiful stallions was a treat to watch in slo-mo. It had grace, elegance, fierceness and an unadulterated horse power, pun definitely intended, that was like divine music. Though it lasted briefly, the impact was lasting enough.

3) The transparent frog protecting and shielding its offsprings from the onslaught of the deadly wasps was nature in full ballet mode.

4) The flamingo parade was as rib-tickling as the British wry humor. No more to say more than that.

5) The Starlings brilliant murmurations over the architecture marvels of Italy was like Picasso playing with his colours on the drawing board. Exquisite. Period. 

6) Dad penguin's noble, selfless, caring and brave act to battle the tempestuous waves to feed his family was something truly remarkable when we learn from the Sir that those penguins has to defy death every time they venture out into those rampaging waters for food.  

PE 2 has transcended its own benchmark by quite a distance and it is safe to assume that it could be eclipsed and surpassed only by PE 3.

Although, any words of pledge or commitment to safeguard the environment and the planet would be forgotten in a day like how most of us renege on our New Year resolutions, we could at least try to mitigate and minimise the damages that we are causing to the ecosystem so that PE 3 can make a return in their next outing. 

                                                      

                                                          X---Concluded---X

The Grand Tour - An Exquisite and Lavish Vroooommmmmmmm - Part 2

Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva (BVS) have always been an integral and inherent part in the day-to-day affairs of almost every Hindu living in the planet sans the atheists. Whether they had really lived or not is an iron strong bone of contention that is entirely dependent on the conviction of faith of an individual. Every person is unique as does every situation. So, as how I see it, the absence of evidence for any event, place or person does not mean it did not happen. Likewise, the presence of evidence is no concrete proof that the event had actually happened. In the current world of photoshop and other advanced softwares in the market, it can make and take even a laity to quickly sift through the 'Help' to create artificial yet ostensibly genuine morphs according to their own whims and fancies. However, what is not indisputable, as per the Vedas, Sastras and Puranas, is the fact that Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva had their roles clearly defined as the Creator, Protector and Destroyer of the world. The three men knew exactly what they need to accomplish for the benefit of mankind and executed their objectives to perfection by overlooking their own self-interests in the process. How does the Hindu Holy Trinity fit in the context of an Mototainment Show?

Just like BVS, Clarkson, May and Hammond proves to be perfect foil for each other by continuing in their complementary and rock solid skillsets from The Top Gear into the GT as well. Take for example. The Beach Buggy adventure where they had to traverse the harsh desert terrains of Namibia which was akin to their Patagonian exploits in the Top Gear but only on a much more lively, spirited, dashing in terms of narrative and exciting piece of action in the GT. The show also had its elements of 'cheap thrills' like placing 'crocodile zone' boards in one of the episodes when basic common sense mandated that the 3 fine gentlemen wouldn't have taken such a huge risk to cut across the winch in their cars with the scaly and terrifying crocs floating below silently. 

Also, the presence of beautiful cars as Bugatti Chiron, Bentley, Rolls Royce etc. were captured splendidly in the 4K format. It was such an eye-candy that certain picturesque sceneries like the German landscape deserved to be IMAXed! The drifts, donuts, special ops training, battleship game to name a few made me wonder as to how many takes and retakes would have gone into making the film to its immense fruition.

Not to mention the barrage of information during their chinwags in the "Conversation Street" was an eye-opener especially the segment concerning the Ford-Ferrari partnership. Ever since it was highlighted by the trio in their roomy tent, I wondered what might have probably happened had the Prancing Pony agreed to Ford's terms. It would have been a different matter altogether and History may have been rewritten in some other way.  Any way, one important thing that caught my eye was that there was always a good-looking woman just behind Clarkson's shoulders whenever the camera focussed him during their friendly banter and plenty of repartees in the "Conversation Street"!

You know when "Celebrity Brain Crash" segment fluidly slips into the programme that the mentioned icon will somehow fail to reach the destination place and the hosts had to resort to their Plan B which was utterly humorous like the way Hammond played a sensor.  In a nutshell, The Grand Tour was a complete package replete with action, fun, entertainment and informative courtesy the drei performers who I am pretty much certain would have been insured lump sum by Amazon for their calculated daring escapades.

As May rightly points out every time "Does it mean he will not be coming over" whenever a celebrity meets a ghastly end, I bid adieu to a wonderful Season 1 with a heavy heart now but wait with intense anticipation of how great the next season will be when it airs later in the year.


                                                            X---Concluded---X