dabba | PassionforCinema

I am the Butcher of Vilaspur. I am just like you. There is nothing special about me.

dabba's Blog

38
The Godfathers
The first time I watched Godfather, I didn’t get it completely, but was still blown away. The detailing in all the scenes, and the direction by Coppola was really good. In the opening scene, when Marlon Brando who plays Don Coreleone the Godfather, is sitting and talking to a guy that has come to him for help, so powerful. The acting was terrific, in fact, I would...
by dabba at May 9th, 2009 at 02:05 am
16
When love dies
Humans are perhaps the only species that are cognizant of their impending demise. The same evolution that developed consciousness has turned us into quakers. We can’t accept that the universe was not made for us, and that there is no special meaning in our being here. We are constantly looking at ways to prolong life or find an afterlife. In the kingdom of god,...
by dabba at May 1st, 2009 at 08:05 pm
11
Translations, Subtitles and the Loss of Nuance
In his Oscar acceptance speech, ARR said, “Ella Pughazhum Eraivanukke” along with that other gem from Deewar. A PFC author asked what it meant in Tamizh, and several authors translated it along the lines of “All Praise to the Almighty.” I added my nuanced (aka BS) translation, and said that it actually means, “Don’t praise me, praise...
by dabba at March 14th, 2009 at 09:03 pm
32
Writing a jhakaas scene
Most amateur, and many professional screenplays are dull, Dull, DULL! Characters state the obvious, don’t really do anything but spout exposition, and “exchange soulful looks,” “have a look of great determination,” or my favorite, “sea of emotions washes across his face – denial, sadness, anger, resignation (can’t remember...
by dabba at March 5th, 2009 at 12:03 am
61
Slumdog Millionaire – Is there a cultural agenda?
I have kept quiet on the slumdog debate for a long time because of a lot of conflicting thoughts that I needed to sort out. What started off as a response to Avdesh’s well-articulated comment (#67, 79) on Medha’s post has turned into this current post. When a film goes on the floors, no studio or executive can predict how it will turn out. It is all a gamble....
by dabba at January 25th, 2009 at 11:01 am
24
Screenwriting Bradley Effect
I like to waste my time drinking and shooting the shit with chiqs, but a writer’s group will do in a pinch. I used to go to a lot of them. It was a habit. A fix. And there were no cute girls. Ever. They made me feel good about myself cos I could see that I was just as bad as everyone else. The difference though, I reveled in my baddery. In the 2 years that I wasted,...
by dabba at January 10th, 2009 at 04:01 pm
33
Oye Lucky! – Aap hain India ka future
We all work hard for our money. At least some of you do. I don’t believe in guilting people into giving to charity, so I won’t ask you to support good cinema. And I certainly won’t use the trope of paisa vasool; money buys what you want her to buy. She makes the world go around, about that there is no doubt. Tis love that makes this place bearable....
by dabba at November 25th, 2008 at 12:11 am
6
Storytelling Jeopardy!
About 5 years ago, I managed to con my employer into sending me on a culinary tour of Mexico with celebrity chefs. I falsely thought that this was my talent. I could convince people to finance my whims, with a subsequent ill-advised foray into filmmaking. During that tour, I sampled a lot of dishes whose complexity boggled and left me with a perpetual “wow”...
by dabba at November 19th, 2008 at 01:11 pm
15
Lovers of the world unite, but
first, the obstacles. Boy girl meet-cute. Girl boy make cute. Happy song. The End. That’s what a romcom would be without the hurdles. Movies would end in 30 minutes, and the productivity of most nations would increase. To the chagrin of HR managers around the world, we have to deal with an additional 2+ hours of misunderstandings, personality mismatches, neuroses,...
by dabba at September 27th, 2008 at 01:09 pm
61
Where are the muslims?
Aamir Khan, Imran Khan, Abbas Tyrewala, Mansoor Khan. They are the above-the-line talent associated with the recent smash Jaane Tu, and there were quite a few “technicians” with similar sounding names. What they have in common is that they are culturally muslim as indicated by their names. I don’t know what their personal religious practices are and...
by dabba at August 2nd, 2008 at 10:08 pm
42
7 Inscuziflagejandable Opening Scenes that had me pumped
When I had to write a post in a hurry with a nailgun pointed at my temple, I decided to do away with analysis, or insights and resorted to the tried and tested solution of the intellectually bankrupt. The List post. We all know that the beginning sets the tone for the film, letting the audience know what to expect etc., and some even use it as a bookmark and mirror it...
by dabba at July 29th, 2008 at 10:07 pm
64
The Conspiracy against Screenwriters
You are a part of it. As are film journalists, directors, actors, critics, reviewers, right down to the spot boy. The most egregious offender is of course the self-effacing screenwriter, who puts up with the debasement and will often partake in it. So, you have people running around spouting sewage like, “A film is merely a ploy to wokka wokka wokka,” or “A...
by dabba at June 24th, 2008 at 05:06 pm
33
PFC New York City MeetUp – The report
I arrived at the location a full 37 minutes after the witching hour, figuring I’ll still be the first. IST and all. But no, Badmash and Evelyn were standing outside the bar. From their unbridled disappointment at seeing me, I figured they were PFC. We air kissed our hellos (Not), got a round of drinks and headed to the patio, It was Evelyn’s wedding anniversary,...
by dabba at June 24th, 2008 at 02:06 pm
132
Where Aamir went wrong – Autopsy of a thriller screenplay
When it comes to cinema, everyone has an opinion. Not me. This is Gospel. What credentials have I, you say? A one time script analyst and self taught Ph.D in thrillers (Dr.Dabba), and currently, writer of a single location/real time thriller. I have watched several quintessential Hollywood thrillers multiple times, well made and those that fucked up, studied them beat...
by dabba at June 20th, 2008 at 03:06 pm
29
How to become a good Director
I’m not concerned with greatness because it is usually inexplicable, almost always inimitable, and for the most part inscuziflageheifapermejandable. Also, it is conventional and collective wisdom that one must suffer for greatness. I have a remarkably low threshold for pain, emotional or otherwise, and don’t particularly fancy being the starving-cynical-great...
by dabba at June 16th, 2008 at 05:06 pm
59
The Fall – Tarsem Rises
Assalam waaleikum My boy’s back, and he goes by Tarsem No video for R.E.M. Or J.Lo and the Vinces in a bad fillum It’s been a while since he rapped at ya He got a dope rhyme, but it won’t sell No family’s dysfunctional Or that other favorite; repression A visual fantasy, that’s his habit And there’s a lil girl expressin. If you get a...
by dabba at May 29th, 2008 at 12:05 pm
12
IFFLA through beer goggles
The last few weeks have been trying. I have suffered some personal tragedies that make the Burmese look like a bunch of sissypant whiners. On my way back to New York from IFFLA, I spent an entire day at the airport because there were 2 clouds over Timbaktoo. I finally arrrived at my apartment, only to lose my tranny shades (Chinatown – 5$) in the cab. I had two hours...
by dabba at May 10th, 2008 at 01:05 am
20
Persepolis – And why animation gets me every time
There was once a little boy who had a very big heart that bled easily. Unfortunately for him, his brain was too small to fix his chronic syndrome. Since he could think of no way to grow his mind to fix the imbalance, he went the other way. He started chipping away at his heart until the center of gravity was restored, and harmony found. He became selfish and happy. An...
by dabba at April 13th, 2008 at 02:04 am
45
How to write Naach-Gaana?
After yet another rejection of yet another offbeat screenplay (breakdancing gangstas, ichchadari nags with superpowers, indian zombies, refrigerators that molest little girls, romance between a guy and a dog, serial killer on a shopping spree, etc., not all in the same movie though), I decided to sell out (and hopefully sell a screenplay) by writing a mainstream movie....
by dabba at April 10th, 2008 at 01:04 pm
12
My Blueberry Nightmares
Awful Awful Awful. Beyond terrible. This is going to be a quick and dirty post. At 90 mins, the movie feels padded, what with half the movie shot at 48fps. Kar Wai explores new lows in acting, exposition, storylessness, general wankery, and the ancient philosophy of keys and doors. Also, Jude Law douchebaggery is really explored. Norah, don’t act. Ever. Again. Jude...
by dabba at April 7th, 2008 at 08:04 am
77
Prabhu Deva – Renaissance Man
Yes. I said it. I called Prabhudeva a renaissance man. This is not going to be an objective post. A glowing hagiography is more like it. He may be the most talented person working in Indian movies today (hyperbole never hurt anyone). But he is wonly a dancer you say. No. Item Dancer, Choreographer, Actor, Star, Director, Writer. Writer/Director? Yes. That too of hit movies. He...
by dabba at March 30th, 2008 at 04:03 pm
17
The Gumshoe – my short screenplay
In 2006, my Indian co-worker’s 8 year old son came into the office for “bring your kids to work day.” The boy was precocious, and for some reason I took a liking to him (may be I was projecting my id). I conjured up an image of him in a chocolate brown Fedora, and brown overcoat with a magnifying lens in his hand. He was solving some kind of case. The...
by dabba at March 23rd, 2008 at 08:03 pm
8
WELCOME to my rampage
An unidentified brown man (insert ethnicity/race you despise) was finally arrested in Manhattan’s Flatiron District after a bloodlust rampage that has left in its wake, 3 dead and 22 injured from serious stab wounds. The victims include 5 women, and two grade school children. He was brought down by another brown man (insert ethnicity/race you like) Striker, a soccer...
by dabba at March 15th, 2008 at 04:03 pm
7
The Lives of Others – A lesson in character transformation
Screenwriter Florian Henckel had allegedly heard a quote attributed to Lenin about Beethoven’s Appassionata, “If I keep listening to it, I won’t finish the revolution.” This line makes its way into dialogue between the Playwright protagonist and his Actress girlfriend, while discussing the crimes of the Stasi (E. Germany’s Secret Police). And...
by dabba at March 1st, 2008 at 04:03 pm
19
Character through choice – Gone Baby Gone
Ours is the era of the cult of personality. When asked to describe a friend, we say things like- “S(H)e is cool.” “You have a similar sense of humor. A really dry wit.” Or “She is nice,” when the person is aesthetically challenged. More than one friend of mine has lamented their dating life by complaining about an individual’s...
by dabba at February 18th, 2008 at 04:02 pm
18
Night Falls – An elegy for my hero
About 2/3rds into the execrable LADY IN THE WATER, there’s a scene where two characters speak outside the building in a medium shot, exit the scene, followed by a pan of the camera to the building door. The framing now is almost a wide shot. The reason why I am describing shot sizes is to put in perspective some basic rules of horror grammar (itself a modification...
by dabba at February 9th, 2008 at 04:02 pm
100
Revenga
The desire for revenge stems from the mother of human follies. The expectation of fairness. I met some people last night at a bar (i get all my information/knowledge there) and found out that they got paid to study cooperation, fairness and altruism. I coughed bullshit and went on a rant about the humanities departments in universities and that I have greater use for my...
by dabba at January 26th, 2008 at 07:01 pm
74
Frigid – a short story
If you enjoyed the recent film about a child overcoming adversity, you may like this heartwarming story. If you hated that film, you are a misanthrope, and may like this story about the triumph of a child’s will. I would like to thank PFC author Subrat for being kind enough to edit my attempt at short fiction. You will be sad to hear that his retinas have burnt...
by dabba at January 6th, 2008 at 03:01 pm