DADDY COOL - REVIEW

Daddy Cool
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Behind the camera:
It’s an Inder Kumar film, the person who was responsible for Dhamaal, Ishq, Pyare Mohan, Masti, Rishtey, Mann, Raja, Beta & Dil.

In front of the camera:
Tulip Joshi, Kim Sharma, Aarti Chabria, Sophey Choudhary, Suneil Shetty, Aftab Shivdasani, Ashish Chowdhary, Javed Jaffry, Chunkey Pandey, Prem Chopra & Rajpal Yadav among others.

This is clearly a comedy film.

While the film is supposed to be about a family coming together at their Patriarch’s funeral, it is actually about letting the wizards of comedy loose in a house and then capturing the madness that follows. The result is a faced paced, witty film that has you laughing so hard you need to gasp for air.

A better cast couldn’t be put together for this film. Suneil Shetty is at his best as a controlled elder brother. That doesn’t stop him from dominating and swiping some of the funniest scenes in the film. Ashish Choudhary, Chunkey Pandey and Rajpal Yadav deliver performances that are fantastic. Javed Jaffry, Prem Chopra and Aftab Shivdasani outdo themselves. Their comic timing and brilliance is unmatched by any of their previous performances.

The film has you laughing loudly from the very beginning. The toilet scene between Javed Jaffry and Prem Chopra rates as my personal favorite. A friend of mine (very well known in the film fraternity) was sipping her drink when she uncontrollably sprayed it on the poor people in front of her. No one seemed to mind because everyone in the entire theatre was too busy howling with laughter to notice!

The lady brigade kept pace all along, Sophie Choudhary shines in her very limited role. Kim Sharma pairs up excellently as the doubting Thomas who watches her husbands’ every move. Aarti Chabria’s character is probably the only unfunny one in the entire film.

The real surprise package is Tulip Joshi. Known for being presented in a surreal manner as a timeless, ethereal beauty in her previous hits like Mere Yaar ki Shaadi Hai, Dhoka & Jag Jeode de mele, one wonders what she’s doing in a madcap film like this. Once again (as she did with Matrabhoomi), she stuns with her performance. She reveals a side not known before. While we may debate whether this is a Suneil Shetty or and Aftab Shivdasani film, from among the ladies it is unarguably a Tulip Joshi film. Her stellar performance easily steals the show.

All said and done, Daddy Cool gets a double Thumbs up and a 4 star rating from me. While Tulip Joshi, Suneil Shetty, Javed Jaffry and Aftab have the audience rolling with laughter, the real winner laughing all the way to the bank is the master mind Mr. Inder Kumar. Kudos to him for being able to keep pace with the audience dynamics and deliver hit after hit for decades in a row.

Thank you and cheers to you Mr. Inder Kumar, we love laughing with you!

BIG FAT CRY BABY

BIG FAT CRY BABY

India & Pakistan love dancing with each other.

The two have been dancing this dance ever since they came into being as independent nations. Switch on the news and you’ll know what I am talking about. The headlines scream the usual lines line “Pak backtracks on its word”, “Zardari under pressure”, “Pakistan’s lies exposed in international forum”, etc.

This article is not about who is right or who is wrong. This article is a manifestation of the frustration and exasperation of any intelligent and educated Indian at being led by a team with no will to ever take a stand on any issue.

India in the international scene behaves like a helpless baby. Let me state my case with a few points:
1. Whenever there is a terror attack, India goes on hyper drive to prove that Pakistan was involved.
2. Whenever the US sanctions weapons or aid to Pakistan, India goes ape all over again.
3. Whenever terrorists are caught crossing the border, India goes ballistic.
4. When our PM recently confronted Zardari at a meet about terrorism, the news played it till every viewer puked out of sheer overdose.
5. After the infamous 26/11, Pakistan has brilliantly played ball with every accusation we’ve made and ‘pooh-pooh-ed’ our videos, facts and dossiers with the ease of dusting lint off an old suit.

My list could go on but does it need to?

Here are some thoughts that come to my mind:
1. If India is convinced about Pakistan’s guilt, what are we doing about it (other than pointing fingers)?
2. If our borders are porous, what are we doing about it?
3. How much responsibility do we take for ourselves?
4. Why is our relationship with the US tied with their relationship with Pakistan or anyone? Let the US supply and support whoever they like. Our equation has to be free of this baggage. What stops us from building relations independent of others?

We need to take concrete pro active steps to protect ourselves and anything that we value. The US is a case in point, it is probably the first on every terror groups’ hit list. In a country where guns are freely available, there hasn’t been a single terror attack since 2001. Wow, they must be doing something right!

Besides bawling before the UN, US, SAARC, G8, Common wealth and anyone else who pretends to listen, what really are we doing? Even when the world collapses and death is in the air (for example the recent atrocities on Tamils in Lanka or the attack on Indians in Australia), the toughest line I’ve ever seen us take is when our spokesperson makes a serious poker face and says “India is watching the situation very closely.”

We’ve seen North Korea, Australia, US, Israel, Pakistan, UK, France and so many other nations do what they feel is right regardless of consequences. Once convinced on any issue they all follow it up with action. Does it mean that we believe in nothing? Is it a desperate need for international popularity and a pat on the head saying “good child”? We love to be the big cry baby who keeps complaining but does nothing!

When will we take responsibility for ourselves? Learn some ownership? Let’s stop pointing fingers outside and do something about it instead. Let’s just grow up it really is about time!!
Captain Vinod Nair

KAMBAKKHT ISHQ

Sylvester Stallone has always been a great source of inspiration to me. He reached out through his movies and spoke to me when I needed it most in my teen age years; he inspired and gave me hope. Riveted and wide eyed, I watched movies like shaped ‘Escape’, ‘Over the top’, the ‘Rocky’ series, the ‘Rambo’ series and many others in my formative years.

To me, Stallone was more than a movie star; he was a beacon of hope. I used to blast ‘Eye of the Tiger’ and work out at intensely at home while watching the awe inspiring training sequence in Rocky 3. Believe it or not, I lost over 20 kgs doing just that. Stallone’s philosophies motivated me no end. The 80’s for me were shaped by Stallone.

After a brief lull, he made a formidable come back with two giant hits ‘Rocky Balboa’ and ‘Rambo 4’. Firmly entrenching himself in his well deserved super star status for yet another decade.

So when the news said that an Indian Hindi film was going to feature Sylvester Stallone along with a few other Hollywood biggies, my delight knew no bounds! The icing on the cake was that the Indian star would be Akshay Kumar, a man whose fitness lifestyle I endorse readily!
Unable to make it for the pre-release trial, I went to the theatre to see the film (I owed that much to my idol Stallone). With much ado, I sank into my seat with my ice cream in hand and waited pregnant with anticipation for the film to start.

At the beginning, I sat wide eyed with raised eyebrows and a huge smile plastered across my face but with each passing frame, my eyebrows dipped a little and my wide eyes began to reduce in size. My smile began to invert. As the film progressed, I covered my battered and distorted face to save my senses from more savage punishment but the film was relentless, it bashed on regardless.

Like a well coordinated terror attack, Kambakkth Ishq attacks mercilessly from all fronts and flanks. The film knows no pity, hesitation, regret or remorse. The smarter ones left the cinema hall while a few of us foolishly braved on. When the savagery of the viewer’s senses was finally over (that is, when the film finally ended), a few of crawled out of the theatre on all fours. The rest had to be carted away before rigor mortis set in.

The time spent watching Kambakkth Ishq wasn’t wasted. It was payback to Stallone for all that he had done for me during my growing years. Today, I can finally look at Stallone in the eye (on the cover of my DVD of Rocky 3) and say “Thanks a million Sylvester for all you’ve given me but we are even now.”

So I, Captain Vinod Nair sign off here feeling relieved of baggage and ready for a good nights’ sleep. Thank you Kambakkth Ishq for helping me repay a debt that has weighed on my shoulders for over two long decades :)

Captain Vinod Nair

Diet for your mind

Diet for your mind

By Captain Vinod Nair

Nowadays, almost everyone I meet is health conscious! Even the biggest and most popular food brands are reshaping their offerings to be healthy. It wasn't always like this. Till recently, most people indulged their taste buds to the hilt. Having paid the price for that kind of indulgence, most of us are now careful of what goes into our system.

Use poor cooking oil, and see your face break out. Eat fatty foods, and watch your inches expand. There are clearly foods to avoid and foods that are recommended. In short, our external self is purely a reflection of our internal self. This rule holds true for thoughts as well.
As important as the foods we put into our bodies, are the thoughts we put into our minds. Like foods, there are clearly thoughts to avoid and thoughts to embrace.

Here are some thoughts to avoid: Thoughts of bitterness, hatred, despair, fear, worry, doubt, greed and self-loathing. A constant diet of these killer thoughts will destroy us long before cholesterol or fat.

Thoughts to embrace would include: intelligent analysis, positivity, belief, faith, happiness, peace and fulfilment.

How we fill our minds will shape our lives. So fill your mind only with that which is healthy, and harmonious. Watch your diet, rid your mind of all that is destructive and fill it with that which is good and peaceful. That is the way of patience and courage, love and contentment, peace and kindness.

Our thoughts shape our actions so we inevitably become how and what we think. Your past thoughts have brought you where you are today.

Even as you read this, today's thoughts are shaping your tomorrow. Fill your mind with healthy and happy thoughts.

By Captain Vinod Nair
(first published by TOI's idiva)

Make a difference, excel!

It was back in 1989. Just out of my teens when life, priorities and realities were different. Amongst the millions of youth my age back then a few of us, from various parts of India had one thing in common: We chose to dedicate our lives to the nation.

We applied, got selected and survived the rigorous training of the Indian Army. (Out of the estimated 5,00,000 people who apply to join the Indian Army as officers, less than 120 are successful every year.) We were from diverse backgrounds when first met at the Officer's Training Academy in Chennai.

There we were subjected to gruelling routines, ground to dust, thrashed first out of and then into shape. Our egos weren't bruised or battered - they were simply decimated!! Through these months of madness, in rare moments of reflection, we'd wonder about our lives.

Our classmates, relatives and friends in the real world were studying, fooling around or working while we were encapsulated, far removed from commerce, business, and the real world in general.

We had given up our families, our ambitions and dedicated our lives to the nation. We became each other's family and friends.

People from the real world called us fools and dreamers. "Why do you do it?" they asked. "It's not worth it," they insisted.

Were they right? Were we just insane?

Our endless days at the academy finally ended with some of us becoming proud commissioned officers in the Indian Army. We were posted to various units across the length and breadth of the globe.

Some were landed with peace postings in exotic locales while some of us were (at the tender age of 21) plunged into bitter and gory combat where we were tested in every way a human can be tested.

Some perished over the years, some wounded and maimed for life. Few of us are civilians now, while some still serve selflessly.

This is 2009, twenty years have gone by. I now look back and ask questions that have dogged so many of us for so long: Why did we do it? Was it worth it? Were we pursuing a dream or was it just insanity?

Looking back and looking around now, I know that if I were to live this life a second time, I'd do it all over again.

The answers to my several questions lie in one four word phrase: "It was worth it."

This page is dedicated to my brothers in arms, who aren't with us today: Sameer Ul Islam, Freddie Merchant, Rajiv Laul, Chandrashekhsr, Maj Bhandarkar and many, many others.

For readers who may not know the names mentioned here, you don't need to but you must know that they were real people like you and I. They however, gave their "today" for our "tomorrow" without even being asked. How can we pay them back for such supreme sacrifice?
Make your life worthy of their sacrifices. Don't be mediocre, make a difference. Excel in everything you do.

Written by Captain Vinod Nair
First published at http://www.idiva.com/bin/idiva/BlogPage?theme=Captains%20corner

Gym Sutra

Gym Sutra

Your regular gym sessions are far more important than you think. They can even rescue your sex life. Captain Vinod Nair tells you how
By Vikas Hotwani

If you are among the ones who pay an annual membership fee at the local gym, but visit it only a handful of times, this should motivate you. Being fit and healthy benefits all areas of your life — including sex. Those cardio and weight-training sessions can add that much-needed (or aspired) zing between the sheets.

Improves testosterone levels
Research has shown that regular exercise, especially squats and lunges, boosts the testosterone level in the body. Since the hormone plays a key role in one’s libido and performance, a boost there equals great sex.

Turns your partner on
A toned physique is undoubtedly the most potent turn-on for your partner. Even before the love-making session begins, the sight of toned abs, strong thighs and muscular arms makes you sexually desirable to your partner and starts the fire burning.

Moreover, it’s been observed that those who maintain a toned physique have a better perception of themselves which leads to higher confidence levels.

The different aspects of life aren’t compartmentalized and an overall sense of well-being is sure to catapult your sex life and even lead to higher satisfaction levels, for you and your partner alike. In fact, obesity is one of the key physical reasons for erectile dysfunction.
Not to forget, it can be quite something to be able to playfully throw your partner around in bed, right?

Improves stamina
A man who indulges in enough cardio-vascular exercises stands better chances of satisfying his partner. Regular cardio builds the body’s overall stamina, which means you last longer in bed. Cardio requires withstanding the pressure for a longer duration with a sustained and justified distribution over the workout’s time span.

For example, if you want your cardio session to last 30 minutes, you cannot sprint aggressively in the first five minutes and exhaust your energy. The endurance level will be distributed with the last five minutes being the most strenuous.

This attitude and conditioning of the body helps men last longer and preferably let the women achieve orgasm before them. This helps because men can orgasm only once while women can have many towards the later stages of the intercourse.

On the other hand, those who indulge in weight training achieve an orgasm much faster, as the aggression it induces makes patience take the back seat — which is why it is advisable for women. However, in the larger picture, it must be kept in mind that the two cannot replace each other’s benefits and a justified mix of weight-lifting and cardio is a must, for both men and women.

Beats libido killers
Stress is one of the biggest reasons for a dissatisfactory bedroom experience as it leads to many problems, right from reduced stamina to simply not being in mood. However, all that iron pumping and heavy cardio brings down the cortisol (stress hormone) level and induces a feel-good attitude.

Regular exercise is one of the biggest stress-busters for most people and lower stress levels means a healthier and a far more exciting sex life.

Aphrodisiacs, by chance
A healthy and well-balanced diet is one of the most important aspects of achieving fitness. After you work out, your body craves nutrition. For building muscle and repairing the damage, you need a diet high on zinc and proteins. Zinc is known for its aphrodisiac properties. Eat your way to a sizzling sex life with a diet rich in asparagus, onions, garlic and bananas.

Matter of position
Merely buying a copy of Kamasutra will not improve your sex life. Your body needs to have the flexibility and the endurance level to hold the positions that the ancient scriptures speak of.

You may ignore the extra layers of flab, but the fact remains that the added inches may restrict your urge to experiment in bed. When you hit the gym regularly, you build the strength needed to hold the positions for a longer time. Women who train their pelvic muscle groups have a better ability of achieving orgasm.
To enjoy overall well-being, a combination of four things is important — exercise, diet, sleep and the right attitude. While regular exercising and hitting the gym will give you fitness and have positive repercussions on your sex life, it’s not a guarantee if the right attitude is missing. It is even more important to be considerate and loving towards your partner, without which having a satisfactory lovemaking session would be virtually impossible.

TIP
Next time you hit the gym, make sure you don’t leave out good old push-ups and pull-ups. While push-ups are quite similar to the missionary position and exercise all the right muscles required for better performance, pull-ups help train your arms to support your body weight during intercourse.
(Captain Vinod Nair is a life coach and excellence guru)

Published in Mumbai Mirror 28 Feb 09 (page 22)

Warren Buffet's advice for 2009

We begin this New Year with dampened enthusiasm and dented optimism. Our happiness is diluted and our peace is threatened by the financial illness that has infected our families, organizations and nations. Everyone is desperate to find a remedy that will cure their financial illness and help them recover their financial health. They expect the financial experts to provide them with remedies, forgetting the fact that it is these experts who created this financial mess.
Every new year, I adopt a couple of old maxims as my beacons to guide my future. This self-prescribed therapy has ensured that with each passing year, I grow wiser and not older.
This year, I invite you to tap into the financial wisdom of our elders along with me, and become financially wiser.
1. Hard work: All hard work bring a profit, but mere talk leads only to poverty.
2. Laziness: A sleeping lobster is carried away by the water current.
3. Earnings: Never depend on a single source of income. [At least make your Investments get you second earning]
4. Spending: If you buy things you don't need, you'll soon sell things you need.
5. Savings: Don't save what is left after spending; Spend what is left after saving.
6. Borrowings: The borrower becomes the lender's slave.
7. Accounting: It's no use carrying an umbrella, if your shoes are leaking.
8. Auditing: Beware of little expenses; A small leak can sink a large ship.
9. Risk-taking: Never test the depth of the river with both feet. [ Have an alternate plan ready ]
10. Investment: Don't put all your eggs in one basket.

I'm certain that those who have already been practicing these principles remain financially healthy. I'm equally confident that those who resolve to start practicing these principles will quickly regain their financial health.
Let us become wiser and lead a happy, healthy, prosperous and peaceful life.

Tips for running the Mumbai Marathon

Congratulations on your plan to run the Mumbai marathon! Here are a few tips that may help you sail through the run.

Before the run
1. Shoes & socks: Shoes should be firm, supportive, yet well ventilated running shoes that allow your feet to breathe. If the shoes aren't your regular training shoes, wear them on at least one 16 km run at marathon pace. This test run will determine whether you're likely to develop blisters or get sore feet before it's too late. If the shoes bother you on this run, get yourself another pair.
2. Clothing: Ideally the best for running would be a compression top above and leggings below. If however, that is not available, you wear short and open shorts along with a loose single above.
3. Equipment: Wear a light and comfortable watch while running. It helps keep things in perspective and curb panic attacks.
4. Nutrition: Follow a well balanced diet with proper nutrition. Do NOT over eat for strength. Remember the heavier you are, the more baggage you have to run with. Do notice that all world class athletes are very slim and on the thinner side.
5. Hydrate yourself: Have plenty of water and vitamins. Glucose and Gatorade are excellent options.
6. I-pod: A good music player helps distract the mind while running. Do watch your wires though, they should be tucked under your clothes to avoid irritation and distraction. Load any kind of music that helps you run.
7. Familiarize yourself: Know the route and make notes of landmarks, ups, downs and distances.
8. On the day of the race, wake up at least 3 – 4 hours before the run. If you can eat something, it will give you enough time to have it mostly digested before the start. Second, it will help keep you from feeling sluggish on the starting line.
9. Rest: Give your body rest at least 24 – 48 hours before the run.
10. Stretch and warm up before the run.

During the run
1. Stay calm and confident while running, keep your mind distracted to avoid panic attacks that make you stop.
2. Watch your breathing. Keep it steady and calm.
3. Don’t waste your energy training to get to the front in the beginning. Pace yourself calmly. In the first 7 km, identify and latch on to the runners you’d like to run with for the rest of the race.
4. Stay Hydrated: Keep sipping small amounts of sports drink / water regularly.
5. Watch your knees. Forward movement of your knees means progress. Backward swining of the feet is wasted energy. So watch your style of running.

After the run
1. Stretch your muscles and cool down to avoid cramps and muscle pulls.
2. In case of any uneasiness or injuries, visit a Doctor immediately because some injuries can be internal.
3. Hydrate yourself.
4. Rest and allow your body to recover rather than party the same night.
5. Your body has been well trained and groomed. Don’t give into temptation and start binging on unhealthy food.