Neil W. Sen

Jun 012018
 

As we wait, rather impatiently, for the 8th season of ‘Game of Thrones’ to air next year, we can’t help but lap up every bit of GOT trivia we can lay our hands on. From Kit Harington and Rose Leslie (i.e. Jon Snow and Ygritte) planning to get married to Emilia Clarke chopping her golden locks for the finale, we just can’t get enough. One such golden piece of trivia is about a diehard ‘Game of Thrones’ fan who walked in the snow for 13 hours to draw a massive Stark sigil on the snow peaks of France. That’s a Stark house loyal right there!

GOT Fan Created A Huge Stark Sigil In Snow© Youtube_Sky Atlantic

GOT Fan Created A Huge Stark Sigil In Snow© HBO

British snow artist and GOT fanatic Simon Beck undertook this Herculean mission over 2 years ago. The man covered over 64,800 steps (which took him 13 hours) to draw an impressive image of a dire wolf, the sigil of the Stark House.

If you think it was just a walk in the snow, you are more misguided than Cersei was about Dany’s dragons. It required a well-etched out map with elaborately plotted lines. 

GOT Fan Created A Huge Stark Sigil In Snow© Youtube_Sky Atlantic

The Stark sigil is as impressive as the real one in the show and has the words “Winter is coming” carved into the snow below it. This one looks even more promising than the Stark House sigil that the nightwalkers had created in the previous season. 

GOT Fan Created A Huge Stark Sigil In Snow© HBO

GOT Fan Created A Huge Stark Sigil In Snow

May 102018
 

As the entire who’s who of Bollywood descended to attend Sonam Kapoor and Anand Ahuja’s wedding, we lesser mortals couldn’t help but feel a little jealous. From binge-watching the celebrity dance videos to dismissing it all as media hype, we went through a range of emotions. As if that wasn’t all, Mukesh Ambani’s daughter Isha Ambani got engaged and it was another party for us to look at and experience FOMO. But after we saw Anand Ahuja awkwardly manoeuvre his way through our boisterous Bollywood stars, we felt a little better. He is one of us. Just when we were making peace with our fate, Neha Dhupia got married to Angad Bedi in a secret wedding and broke our hearts just a little.

These are the few thoughts that ran across our minds as we watched Sonam ki star-studded Shaadi on our Instagram feeds.

1. I. Am. Single. AF. 

Things That Went Through Our Minds After Watching Sonam Kapoor & Anand Ahuja Getting Married

2. No worries, pizza is my bae 

Things That Went Through Our Minds After Watching Sonam Kapoor & Anand Ahuja Getting Married

3. *Daydreams about marrying a supermodel*

Things That Went Through Our Minds After Watching Sonam Kapoor & Anand Ahuja Getting Married

4. It’s all a mirage, brother

Things That Went Through Our Minds After Watching Sonam Kapoor & Anand Ahuja Getting Married

5. How can Anil Kapoor dance like that at 61?!

Mind blowing Anil Kapoor’s Performance. Follow @bollywoodcurrent_insta .. . . #sonamkishaadi #sonamkapoorkishaadi #sonamkapoorwedding #sonamkapoor #anandahuja #sonam #sonamanand #weddingbells #marriage #sonamanand #weddingday #everydayphenomenal #bollywoodcurrentinsta #indianwear #traditionalwear #instagood #reception #theleela #sonamreception #sonamkapoorreception #sonamanandreception #sonamahuja #sonamanandahuja #anilkapoor

A post shared by Bollywood Current Insta (@bollywoodcurrent_insta) on May 8, 2018 at 12:44pm PDT

6. I will die alone 

Things That Went Through Our Minds After Watching Sonam Kapoor & Anand Ahuja Getting Married

7. Ranveer picked up Anand! 

Things That Went Through Our Minds After Watching Sonam Kapoor & Anand Ahuja Getting Married

8. *Googles Anand Ahuja* 

Things That Went Through Our Minds After Watching Sonam Kapoor & Anand Ahuja Getting Married

9. They might have had a kickass wedding, but they are missing their honeymoon. Celebrity life sucks! Ha! 

Things That Went Through Our Minds After Watching Sonam Kapoor & Anand Ahuja Getting Married

Things That Went Through Our Minds After Watching Sonam Kapoor & Anand Ahuja Getting Married

Apr 052018
 

Salman Khan has been convicted in the long-pending blackbuck poaching case. As the internet explodes into memes, we wonder what conversation must have gone through between the poor blackbuck and Bollywood’s Bhai. We re-imagine some of the most iconic dialogues and lyrics from Salman’s movies and wonder if the blackbuck was a fan. 

1. Maine pyar kyun kiya

Salman Khan Dialogues That Are Now Worth A Million Bucks© Vinay Pictures/MensXP

2. Regretting life decisions be like: 

Salman Khan Dialogues That Are Now Worth A Million Bucks © Wikimedia Commons/MensXP

3. Guess who could have played Chedi Singh in ‘Dabang’?

Salman Khan Dialogues That Are Now Worth A Million Bucks © Arbaaz Khan Productions/MensXP

4. But blackbuck wasn’t interested. 

Salman Khan Dialogues That Are Now Worth A Million Bucks © Wikimedia Commons/MensXP

5. Can’t say no to Bhai. 

Salman Khan Dialogues That Are Now Worth A Million Bucks © Eros International/MensXP

6. When you are a Bollywood fan

Salman Khan Dialogues That Are Now Worth A Million Bucks © Twitter/Tavysingh/MensXP

7. But the world doesn’t take you seriously.

Salman Khan Dialogues That Are Now Worth A Million Bucks © Vinay Pictures/MensXP

8. The buck stops there. 

Salman Khan Dialogues That Are Now Worth A Million Bucks © Twitter/SirRavindraJadeja/MensXP

9. Tiger zinda hai

Salman Khan Dialogues That Are Now Worth A Million Bucks © Twitter/Times Now/MensXP

10.

Salman Khan Dialogues That Are Now Worth A Million Bucks © Twitter/Tavysingh/MensXP

11. Pyar kiya toh darna kya. 

Salman Khan Dialogues That Are Now Worth A Million Bucks © Gummet and Sohail Productions/MensXP

12.

Salman Khan Dialogues That Are Now Worth A Million Bucks © wikimedia Commons/MensXP

13. Blackbuck no more a Bollywood fan. 

Salman Khan Dialogues That Are Now Worth A Million Bucks © UTV Motion Pictures/MensXP

14. Blackbuck no more.

Salman Khan Dialogues That Are Now Worth A Million Bucks © Twitter/DrAnujKumar/MensXP

15. With swag. 

Salman Khan Dialogues That Are Now Worth A Million Bucks © Twitter/TOI

Disclaimer: This is all a work of fiction and no blackbucks were hurt in the writing of this article.

Mar 092018
 

If one was to talk about the most beautiful woman Indian cinema has ever seen, the name of Madhubala would come up on top. Though we younger generations haven’t grown up on her films, the charm has been bright enough to dazzle our eyes. Born as Mumtaz Jehan Begum Dehlavi in Delhi in 1933, Madhubala immortalised some of the industry’s most iconic songs and films. Her vibrant smile and expressive eyes added a dreamy effervescence to the screen and made sure onlookers were smitten, even decades after. 

NY Times Compares Madhubala To Marilyn Monroe © Facebook/Indiatimes

Paying tribute to the timeless beauty, New York Times featured her in its obituary section called ‘Overlooked’ on Women’s Day. The newspaper said about its section: “Since 1851, obituaries in the New York Times have been dominated by white men. Now, we are adding the stories of 15 remarkable women.” 

NY Times Compares Madhubala To Marilyn Monroe

Madhubala, with her exceptional beauty, quick stardom and tragic end, has often been compared with Hollywood icon Marilyn Monroe – the NY Times piece subtitles it as “A Bollywood legend whose tragic life mirrored Marilyn Monroe’s”. Written by Aisha Khan, assistant editor at The Times, the piece pays tribute to the ‘Mughal-e-Azam’ actress. 

“Besotted poets called her ‘a living Taj Mahal,’ but Madhubala’s radiant beauty was not cold or forbidding. Her dreamy eyes, vivacious smile and mischievous laughter gave her a girl-next-door appeal.” she writes. 

NY Times Compares Madhubala To Marilyn Monroe © Twitter

“She died 20 years later as an icon of beauty and tragedy – her dazzling career, unhappy love life and fatal illness more dramatic than any movie she starred in,” Khan says. Madhubala was born with a hole in the heart, a defect that was detected after she started acting. She came from a humble background and entered the world of Indian cinema at the young age of 9, before being spotted by Devika Rani who mentored her into stardom. There was no looking back from then on. 

Whether it was the seductive pull of ‘Aaiye Meherbaan’, 

or the innocent tease of young love in ‘Haal Kaisa Hai Janaab ka’, 

Madhubala managed to immortalise every shot she was part of. She was the distressed damsel of ‘Ek Ladki Bheegi Bhaagi Si’, looking every inch of a goddess in her drenched saree, establishing a new Bollywood trope for mainstream cinema in the years to come. 

Her infectious smile, natural beauty and easy abandon made her a people’s favourite as well as a director’s favourite. A photographer’s delight, her pictures are proof that she is still one of the most beautiful women Bollywood ever saw. 

NY Times Compares Madhubala To Marilyn Monroe © Youtube

A still from ‘Mughal-e-Azam’: 

NY Times Compares Madhubala To Marilyn Monroe © Sterling Investment Corporation

NY Times Compares Madhubala To Marilyn Monroe © Facebook/Madhubala. Photography by James Burke for LIFE

Feb 282018
 

They say the only thing that people remember you for after you’ve left the world, are your deeds. When the chandni of Bollywood, Sridevi passed away in Dubai, media channels rushed in to speculate how she died, page 3 acquaintances gathered to pass judgements on her lifestyle, and while all this was happening, a visually impaired man was sitting quietly outside Sridevi’s house waiting to pay his last respects.

Visually Impaired Man Pays Touching Tribute To Sridevi © Twitter_TOI

His name was Jatin Valmiki, and he hails from a village in Uttar Pradesh. Jatin left his house as soon as he heard the devastating news that Sridevi had passed away. He travelled from his village in UP all the way to Mumbai to pay tribute to the star who helped his brother live. Valmiki had once met Sridevi and had told her about his brother suffering from a brain tumor. She not only handed him Rs 1 lakh immediately but also got another lakh waived off from his hospital bill.

A Visually Impaired Man Is Waiting Outside Sridevi's House For The Most Touching Reason © Twitter_ANI

“I met Srideviji at an event, where I told her about my brother having a brain tumor. She immediately gave me Rs. 1 lakh and even got another Rs. 1 lakh waived off from the hospital bill. Even though I am not a Bollywood fan, I am here to pay my respects to the actor who is responsible for my brother’s recovery. He is alive today because of her,” an emotional Valmiki told ANI.

“Main kuch nahi kar sakta unke (Sridevi) liye, lekin main kam se kam unki antim yatra mein toh shaamil ho hi sakta hoon.”  [“I know I cannot do anything to pay her back, but I can at least be a part of her final journey.’]

As celebrities from B-town gather at Celebration Sports Club in Lokhandwala to pay their last respects to the actress, Jatin Valmiki’s quiet tribute stands apart as a reminder that a good heart always lives on.

This is the kind of thing that one should talk about after someone has left the world. This is the kind of story that needs to be reported post Sridevi’s demise, not the nasty dissections about how she died.

H/t – ANI

Feb 272018
 

Some of the best art comes from pain and suffering, and war films are a prime example of that. Documenting the courage, pain and misery of those involved in war, these films are a reminder of the havoc a single battle can cause. While we’ve all seen war classics like ‘The Hurt Locker’ or ‘Inglourious Basterds’, there are some equally brilliant short films on war that are totally worth watching. With IMDb ratings above 8, these films are short in duration but are as hard-hitting as any feature length film. 

1. Prisoner of War 

IMDb rating: 9.0 

Duration: 13 minutes 

Directed by Mathew R. Sanders, this short revolves around the story of an American prisoner who is subjected to an unrelenting enquiry by a sadistic interrogator. Prison can break the strongest of people and it remains to be seen how he holds up against the interrogator. 

2. Night And Fog  

IMDb rating: 8.6 

Duration: 29 minutes 

A French short film about the horrific death camps in Nazi Germany, ‘Night and Fog’ flits back and forth in time with shots of the camps from before and after the war. 

3. Occurrence At Owl Creek Bridge 

IMDb rating: 8.2 

Duration: 24 minutes

Based on the short story of the same name by Ambrose Bierce, this short film by Robert Enrico tells the story of a Southern civilian who is about to be hanged but the rope from which the execution is taking place breaks under his weight. The film, which has no dialogues, won an Oscar in 1963 for Best Live Action Short Film. 

4. Way In Rye 

IMDb rating: 9.5 

Duration: 28 minutes

A short based during the German invasion of Soviet Russia, ‘Way in Rye’ tells the story of a farmer and his wife who are protecting invaluable paintings that once belonged to Lenin, from the German forces. 

5. Shok 

IMDb rating: 8.2 

Duration: 24 minutes 

Watch it here

Feb 202018
 

Making a feature film is one hell of a task but what is crazier is watching it if turns out bad. While we celebrate blockbusters and worship the stars who maketh the film, there is a whole sea of brilliant short films out there that are way better than many of the films that crowd our screens.

If the prospect of sitting through a 3-hour torture in a theatre gives you the creeps, these brilliant short films are the perfect watch for you. You don’t even need to wait for the weekend to watch these. 

1. The Most Beautiful Thing

This is a love story between two people who are not the ideal match for each other but end up falling in love nevertheless. It has been written, directed and edited by Cameron Covell. 

2. Rakka

Directed by Neill Blomkamp, ‘Rakka’ is a military science fiction film about a dystopian future. 

3. In a Heartbeat

This is an animated short film that is about a young closeted boy who falls in love and as a result his heart literally pops out of his chest, sending him into a nervous frenzy about being discovered. 

4. Thresher 

A horror film about a man in a locked room trying to escape an inter-dimensional threat. 

5. Few Words 

An award-winning film about a French skier who is a pioneer of freestyle skiing, this one is a sheer visual delight. 

6. Cargo 

As a father tries to save his daughter in a zombie apocalypse, he unwittingly sets off an unexpected plan.  ‘Cargo’ is an Australian short film that was a finalist on the Tropfest Australia 2013. 

7. Double king

A trippy animated film by Felix Colgrave about, as the director’s description says, “love and regicide”.  

8. The Black Hole

What would you do if you accidentally discover a black hole you can make use of? This film shows you what happens when an overworked employee finds a black hole and lets his baser instincts take over. 

9. The Unconquered

Narrated by Sean Bean, this one is a short film about Poland during World War 2. 

10. Noose 

An animated short about a young boy dealing with thoughts about ending a life as he enters a forest alone. 

11. Septem

With a running time of 29 minutes, this one’s not very short, but worth your time. ‘Septum’ is about 7 strangers in a room – one of them has to take a pill else they all face death. 

12. Geri’s Game 

One of Pixar’s early short films, ‘Geri’s Game’ won an Academy Award for the Best Animated Short Film in 1998. 

13. This House Has People in It

A disturbing short film in the horror genre, this one is scarier than Paranormal Activity. 

14. Uncanny valley

 While we wait for Steven Spielberg’s impending epic ‘Ready Player One’, this 9-minute long film about virtual reality taking over the real world is going to get you pumped enough. 

15. One-Minute Time Machine

After watching this, you’d wish you could get a time machine and start over every time a girl rejected your proposal. This one was shortlisted for the Sploid Short Film festival. 

Dec 122017
 

Virat and Anushka’s fairytale wedding in Italy has raised the collective emotional quotient of the internet. It’s not every day that a Bollywood star marries a cricket sensation in a picture perfect setting of an Italian landscape. Virushka, could you be any dreamier? Indian women just raised their honeymoon expectations by an entire continent! One look at the pictures and this is everyone’s first thought: Is this for real or yet another Manyavar ad? 

Funniest Tweets On The Virat Anushka Wedding© Twitter_imVKohli

If your timeline is also flooding with an overdose of mush and making you want to cry happy tears, here are some of the funniest tweets that’ll make it a little more real. 

Sharmaji ki beti jokes coming in 3…2…1

Most of the Indian Fathers to their daughters today 👇�

“Tum vahi #WhatsApp karti raho, udhar #Sharmaji ki beti #Indian #Captain ko le gayi😡”

#virushkaKiShadi #SharmaJiKiBeti #TuesdayThoughts

— WiseFool (@Mohnish_Shukla) December 12, 2017

Manyavar really did it 

#virushkaKiShadi #TuesdayThoughts   

Came across this on #Facebook:

People spend money on Pre-Wedding photoshoots. But if you are smart (and famous), you can get paid for one too. Case in point: The recent Manyavar ad.
😂🤣👌@KyaUkhaadLega

— Liu Chuen Chen (@chuenchenliu) December 12, 2017

Match-winning six 

Kids: Gets Married, plans a honeymoon.

Adults: Plans a honeymoon, gets married.

Legend: Gets Married at honeymoon location.#VirushkaWedding

— Godman Chikna (@Madan_Chikna) December 11, 2017

Erm…not between 6 am and 10 pm though 

Finally, Virat Kohli bowled his maiden over. #VirushkaKiShadi pic.twitter.com/skZWdcn20y

— Durex India (@DurexIndia) December 12, 2017

Italian dinner today

Virat & Anushka got married.

Rahul Gandhi elected as congress president.

What a great day for Italy 🙌�

— Shridhar V (@iimcomic) December 11, 2017

Virat knows how to win this match 

Kohli is doing marriage right. Always agree to and repeat what your wife says. pic.twitter.com/PIzottbjfL

— cricBC (@cricBC) December 11, 2017

Sharmaji is winning at life. Excuse me, what’s the procedure to change surname? 

Kohli’s best partnerships:
On field with Sharmaji ka beta.
Outside with Sharmaji ki beti.
Have a blessed life @AnushkaSharma and @imVkohli

— Roflindian (@Roflindian) December 11, 2017

Point noted 

They must hide Virat Kohli’s bat instead of his shoes for a better negotiation.#VirushkaWEDDING

— Sand-d Singh (@Sand_In_Deed) December 11, 2017

You know you’ll pass the exam when Sharmaji ki beti sits next to you 

Just BFF things.  #VirushkaWEDDING pic.twitter.com/c9dMKbPa9R

— East India Comedy (@EastIndiaComedy) December 11, 2017

All of us right now 

Me: * suffering from depression,insomnia,anxiety,has to repay loans,EMIs,is jobless,flunked in exam and life *
Me: OMG.I am so happy Virat and Anushka got married.God bless them.May they always be happy and get everything in life…#VirushkaWEDDING #Virushka #ViratWedsAnushka

— Diabetes (@bloodysugary) December 11, 2017

Oct 162017
 

The silver screen adaptation of Stephen King’s 1986 supernatual horror book, ‘It’ has been giving us sleepless nights. Too scared of walking past uncovered drains in the rain, we still can’t shake the image of the smiling clown from our heads. Clowns are wicked. If that’s wasn’t enough, a scene that was too disturbing to be included in the film has been revealed. 

The Disturbing Scene From Stephen King's 'It' That Was Excluded From Film© New Line Cinema

Actor Bill Skarsgård, who plays Pennywise frighteningly well, revealed on the Playback podcast by Variety that a flashback scene was excluded from the film’s final cut because it was too disturbing even for his genre. He said, “There was a scene we shot that was a flashback from the 1600s, before Pennywise. The scene turned out really, really disturbing. And I’m not the clown. I look more like myself. It’s very disturbing, and sort of a back story for what It is, or where Pennywise came from.”

The Disturbing Scene From Stephen King's 'It' That Was Excluded From FilmQ© New Line Cinema

Now we don’t know what exactly the scene was, there are speculations that it might be included in the next chapter of the movie. Meanwhile, someone on Reddit has revealed another scene that was too horrifying to be included in the movie. One look at the leaked script and you’d know why it wasn’t included. 

The Disturbing Scene From Stephen King's 'It' That Was Excluded From Film© New Line Cinema

The scene involves Pennywise and Abigail, whose child the clown has chosen. As per the Redditor, the leaked script goes like: 

“She’s shaking, doesn’t want to let go. Behind her, the Door OPENS. A Little Boy, 6, asks — BOY: Mama? ABIGAIL: NO! OUT! NOW! Frightened by his mother, the Boy runs. Abigail turns back to Pennywise. Wherever he may be now in the room. The light somehow seems to spin faster now. She kisses her baby and sets it down. It BAWLS. ABIGAIL: I’m sorry, I’m so sorry…

“She turns away from the baby. Faces those dying embers. We keep on her face as they seem to begin GLOWING BRIGHTER AS — OVER HER SHOULDER — OUT OF FOCUS — Pennywise crawls over to the Baby and starts to feast. SHARP CRY FROM THE BABY CUT OFF as we hear a CRUNCH. Abigail continues to look into the BRIGHT ORANGE GLOW of not the flickering fire… but the DEADLIGHTS. Her expression changing. Fear. Denial. Grief. Acceptance. And then nothing. Just a glazed look.”

Going by the script, it is anybody’s guess how graphic and disturbing the scene would be like. No wonder it wasn’t included in the film.

Oct 152017
 

That’s right. After Kit Harington, another ‘Game of Thrones’ star Sophie Turner, who plays Sansa Stark, has got engaged. Sophie and her fiancé Joe Jonas have been dating for a year now. Sophie is merely 21 years of age, but hey when you know, you know. Besides, she has been married twice on the show; reel experience amounts to something! We hope Tyrion, who is still married to her on the show, is not much heart-broken.

GOT's Sansa Stark Is Engaged In Real Life & It's Officially Wedding Season In Winterfell © HBO

Both Sophie and Jonas shared the news on the Instagram pages with a picture of the engagement ring.  

I said yes.

A post shared by Sophie Turner (@sophiet) on Oct 15, 2017 at 10:39am PDT

Marriage hasn’t exactly been cakewalk for her character Sansa and the internet just doesn’t seem to forget it. The North has also not forgotten Littlefinger’s twisted ‘love’ for her!

A man has no name

littlefinger disguises as joe jonas to marry sophie turner you can’t fool me asdghdjsllwznz pic.twitter.com/5667kL2Yka

— princess (@princessumali_) October 15, 2017

I swear!

Joe Jonas just proposed to Sophie Turner & I swear, on the old gods & the new, if GoT is delayed bc of ANOTHER wedding there will be issues.

— Kristina Barry (@steemarie14) October 15, 2017

Told ya! Jon and Sansa…

Telling @Meah_rose5 that Sophie Turner just got engaged to Joe Jonas 😭 I’m so glad I met someone who GETS it pic.twitter.com/8606LhUxzH

— Chloe (@chloeruffennach) October 15, 2017

Did. Not. See. That. Coming

JOE JONAS IS GOING TO BE A STARK?

The final season of ‘Game of Thrones’ is going to be wild.

— Alex Goldschmidt (@alexandergold) October 15, 2017

If you liked it, then you should’ve put a ring on it

Sansa Stark is engaged😱
so that’s what happens when you get little finger out of the way

— Iffy (@Kantesgirl) October 15, 2017

It’s all in the family

Breaking: Sansa Stark is engaged to a Jonas brother

— giuliana allegrotti (@familygiuls) October 15, 2017

Only last month, it was Kit Harrington i.e. Jon Snow who got engaged to Rose Leslie, his Wildling girlfriend from the show. The two are quite a pair and their engagement announcement sealed the deal for many GOT fans. There have been reports about how the shooting of the next season of GOT would be halted for their wedding. With Sophie in queue for a wedding too, we just hope the shoot is not delayed further!

Ah well, looks like we know who’ll get the Iron Throne after all

Sansa Stark And Jon Snow
NIGHT KING HAS CROSSED THE WALL AND YOU BOTH THINKING ABOUT BETTING MARRIED NOW ?!!!#MisplacedPriorties

— S• (@DREAM0FSPRING) October 15, 2017

We wonder how Littlefinger is taking the news

GOT's Sansa Stark Is Engaged In Real Life & It's Officially Wedding Season In Winterfell

Joffrey would have been crushed

GOT's Sansa Stark Is Engaged In Real Life & It's Officially Wedding Season In Winterfell

Er..Sansa is still married to Lord Tyrion

GOT's Sansa Stark Is Engaged In Real Life & It's Officially Wedding Season In Winterfell

We just want ‘Game of Thrones’ season 8 on time please!