Romeo Akbar Walter- Film Review

I wish it had been Romeo and Juliet. I wouldn't have minded seeing that tear-jerker rather than suffer the boredom of watching this "spy thriller." The first half is so boring that it took great resolve to watch the second.

John Abraham proves yet again (if proof was needed) that he can't act to save his life (pun intended- he is a secret service agent, endangered at all times). Why anyone should want to cast him in this role perfected by the likes of Pierce Brosnan and Roger Moore, is anybody's guess. Maybe he produced the film.

The only good thing about the film is it sticks to its story and does not bring in item numbers or other irrelevant stuff. The problem is, there isn't much of a story, and another non-actor, Jackie Shroff, joins our hero in competing for the (non-acting) laurels. I did like the acting by the villains though.

Ho-hum, and stay at home is my unsolicited advice.

Kalyug- Book Review

This is an original fiction title, just published. Written by first-time author Sreeram Ramakrishnan, it is a thriller set in present-day India.

Meticulously detailed, it sets out with a writer being called upon to witness a coup 'as it happens', in Delhi. A shadowy organisation claiming to do it in the nation's interest, puts up a puppet as the Head of the new government, and runs it by remote control. There is another organisation run by an industrialist, with nexus abroad, which is a rival power-monger, appropriately called 'Powerhouse'. The coup succeeds, and the rival, Powerhouse, attempts to sabotage the new 'government' by all means available to it. There is an exciting finale to resolve the various threads.

The unique thing about the story is its contemporary Indian setting, and characters drawn from recent political history. Many of the characters and events are recognisable, and add to the curiosity of the reader about how things will pan out for each one of them. The crux of the story is a defence scandal (from recent memory of a similar one that actually happened) involving shoddy equipment that ends up killing soldiers on the front, and one general's commitment to expose it. A female journalist also takes it upon herself to get to the bottom of things, and plays a pivotal role, and the love interest.

There is also interference from Britain and the US, sometimes positively affecting events, but usually looking down upon India from their high horses-pretty accurate in its depiction. There are plenty of surprises, and the writing is first rate.

A well-researched, high-voltage drama, and scary in its implications, it reminds the reader of how easily democracy can be subverted, with just a few years' planning, and a handful of committed people, if things are rotten in Denmark. A good read!