My Random Rants

Since everybody seems to having a stab at writing one of these. I thought I’d have a go at it as well. Here is my list of course in no particular order 1) District 9: A sci fi flick that contained many thought provoking questions. Shows conditions in apartheid ridden South Africa albeit in a most unexpected way. Brilliantly shot in docudrama style and the action’s great as well.   2) The Informant: A fantastic flick. A dark comedy about an extremely serious subject. Gives meaning to the phrase “The truest words are often spoken in jest”. Matt Damon excels. Can’t believe he played Jason Bourne once.   3) Avatar: The same old hackneyed story yet what a way to tell it. The special effects were extraordinary and unlike an. Saw it in Imax 3D. A movie to be experienced on the big screen. The level of detail is astounding to say the least. It seems every nut bolt of the machinery was planned out. God himself would be proud after creating a world like Pandora.  ...

This goes out to Hall 1, the hostel where all the 4th year students of IIT Kanpur live. Indeed this hostel serves as a meeting ground between familiar foes some of who go on to become friends. A lot of factors make Hall 1 what it is. It acquires a mythic quality right from the first year when juniors are often threatened with “Aaj raat hall 1 main chal”. The seniors who live in Hall 1 seem to have a totally different existence as compared to the rest of the campus. On a visit to the hostel in the first year all one hears is the constant swearing, and sees everyone in shorts or in suits. Legends surround Hall 1 and in our first year the stories we hear are of Hall 1 and none other. Indeed Hall 1 residents perpetuate this myth as well acting as if they are the scariest beings on the campus. Indeed the fear is such that if a fresher goes to Hall 1 they are not expected to come back. There is something about Hall 1 that separates it from the rest of the Halls. For starters, Hall 1 has ...

This piece of writing goes out to arguably the finest sportsman that India(and perhaps the world) has ever produced Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar. As a kid I remember thinking “What is the hype about, after all he is just a player” and was in general cynical as something so hyped up rarely lived up to the promise but Sachin was different, he was the real deal and the hype for once seemed justified. For Indians he is a demi god who can do no wrong (he’s actually repaid the faith in full). Ironically, the first time Sachin really had a impression on me was with the ball. It was a match against Australia, opponents against whom he has prospered and often performed at his best. Unfortunately on that occasion Sachin was dismissed by Kasporwicz for 8 runs. India however set Australia a target of 310 to chase. With Australia cantering home at 203/3 after 31 overs Sachin turned the match around claiming his career best figures of 5 for 32. This was a cricketer willing to give it all every single t...