If you are planning to watch Tanu Weds Manu out of an anticipation of it being a time-pass if not an entertainer, let me clarify this - you are wrong.

Rediff reviews it as "charming". Whatever the reviewer was inhaling/ingesting during the movie watch, it should be banned from the multiplexes. Charming is a quaintly sweet adjective for a movie. This movie isn't charming. It is a colossal waste of celluloid, a lesson in how continuity breaks through scenes (Kangna's shoes change in between as does Deepak's wristwatch position for example) and that actors, when they try to painstakingly prove how 'inside their character' they are by attempting to act in-your-face. Kangna Ranaut plays a character that is not neurotic/psychotic/dysfunctional. And fails majestically. A small reason for that is that the set design around her doesn't even add to her character. For example, her room provides a pivotal context and yet there's just shoulder-level camera shots that rely on fuzzy focus and some bric-a-brac shot to build up what ostensibly is a rebel-without-a-cause persona. R Madhavan is equally incredible - as a physician practising in London (with some pharma company building pacemakers) with a well-entrenched sense of 'sanskar' - his lack of display of emotions are more perhaps a result of being unable to emote than deep-seated angst and a sense of all-will-sort-out-at-the-final-reel sense of conviction.

What does redeem the movie is the wonderful set of characters/cameos - K K Raina, Rajendra Gupta, Deepak Dobriyal (with that name like Pappi, who wouldn't expect the character to be the one threading the narrative together ?), Swara Bhaskar and Eijaz Khan. Jimmy Shergill should perhaps look back at the recent string of bloopers that he has selected and mope over the waste of his potential - the role ill suits him and that swagger is so affected that it would do well as a caricature (wait till the last scene for what might be the most laughter inducing dialogue from him !). The story travels to and fro between Delhi, Kanpur and Kapurthala and it is only at the latter location does the tempo attempt to pick up a bit. A disastrous post-intermission script lets it down so thoroughly that by the time it is near the end you desperately want Manu to wed Tanu and be done with it so that you can leave the theater in peace and with some of your sanity intact.

Some casting decisions are such perfect fit that when the story is about a real-life persona it becomes a dazzling narrative. The Fighter is one such film (note, Brad Pitt isn't playing Dicky even though the link says he is). By the end of the movie it isn't just a story about Micky or, his aspirations and hopes - it is a story about Dicky and, a story about Charlene. Mark Wahlberg's had similar role as a straight cut, honest to the boots hero in a hopefully stacked deck against him situation was in Invincible. And, Mark Wahlberg generally does a good job of playing these characters. Blessed not with prodigious acting talent but an ability to bring warmth to somewhat heroic roles, his casting as Micky Ward is just too good.

Will the movie make it in all the categories it has been nominated for ? I'm not so sure but it would be a good toe-to-toe between the two actors - Amy Adams and Melissa Leo. The latter has the tougher role and the former just belts out an extremely natural performance in a role that is way outside of what she's been doing (especially the series of ditzy roles). That generally takes a lot of self-belief and, a lot of faith in the treatment of the narrative in the hands of the director. Christian Bale, playing the "pride of Lowell", probably ends up doing a better job than either Matt Damon or, Brad Pitt would have done (and, I am fairly certain that he did better than what Brad Pitt would have done, not so sure about Matt Damon from a purely selfish perspective). Putting out the 'heart' in the characters to show on screen, being committed towards shooting pretty grisly and realistic match scenes - it is a nicely put together package. The only nagging feeling is that it is too neatly put together for awards by tugging at just the right emotions and turning the correct knobs.

Irrespective of all of that it is a highly recommended movie to watch. And, perhaps should help you get motivated to watch some of the other great boxing movies. I wonder if the HBO Documentary is available somewhere for a watch.

Today Indranil posted a somewhat strange message on Facebook.

Social Networking as a HR PsyOps tool. Disgruntled / ex-employees (now with rival co) and FB - i was told about this by a colleague at work (at who's company this was happening) 

Methodology - Change companies and move into rival ones, then start adding ex-colleagues to your friend list. Freak the ex-company's HR out with possible hint of personnel / project poaching through tweets, status updates and comments.

To me nothing could be more stupid. And, I've seen shades,degrees and variants of stupid that defy categorization. There's this tendency specific to employees of companies in India to make their separation as full of ill wind as possible. I find it suitably ridiculous because unless you are changing your field of expertise/employment completely, you'll end up encountering characters from your previous places of employment or, have to place yourself in situations where you transact with them. Pissing off people or, just being a notorious nasty isn't appreciated by companies any more. Even if you are 'rock-star' material.

It doesn't take too much to be graceful. Even under pressure. Sadly, grace is something that most employees tend to leave at their homes when playing out their notice period. Among the various things that make employees "unemployable", this lack of grace and more importantly, this lack of common-sense to understand real life considerations comes near about the top of the list.

That and the blurring of lines between social networks and professional networks.