Aal Izz Well

When my kids were still tots and believed everything the Hubby and I told them, there was one strategy we used to make them behave. We told them the story about a 'Bombay' wearing a turban, going around the village (or supermarket, wherever the need arises!) carrying a sack, and taking little children with him to sell to couples with no children. Mr. Bombay could have been in the department store to appear when someone was about to make a scene for not getting an expensive toy.  Or he could have been just around the neighborhood during nap time when the kids refused to take a shuteye. I remember this big water tank on the way to our house in Davao, which the Hubby emphatically pointed out to be Mr. Bombay's hideout. Later when the Kiddos were smart enough to make up their own stories, the legend of Mr. Bombay evolved into a loser 'kidtaker' who couldn't seem to take the Kiddos because it turned out that they have superpowers of their own. 

U Blouse
MNG Capri
SO!Fab Pumps

We parents seem to concoct outrageous stories to make our children behave without the need to threaten them with corporal punishment. Santa Claus--"Better be good or you'd get no presents!" Fairy Tales --"A kind heart gets to live happily ever after with the Prince!" And of course, Mr. Bombay--"Take your afternoon nap or else he'd take you away!"




I don't think this has traumatized my children that much, because now we all laugh about it when we recall those stories laden with Mr. Bombay's name. 




Thank God, 'aal izz well'.*

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Movie Review: 3 Idiots (2009)

Story: Two friends embark on a quest for a lost buddy. On this journey, they encounter a long forgotten bet, a wedding they must crash, and a funeral that goes impossibly out of control.

My Review: The first time I caught a glimpse of this movie was in a ferry ride from Iloilo. I was too tired from the trip that I slept through the ride. But I was intermittently woken up by the passengers laughing loudy at the movie. Hey, it must be one of those slapstick-y kind of movie, I thought. After all, it's titled "3 Idiots', (and from Bollywood at that--with the dancing and all!) so what should I expect?

But I got curious, so I downloaded it and watched it last weekend. Boy, I was completely blown away by the brilliant simplicity of the film. The story was full of life’s lessons--about how we should deal with education, with wealth, with relationships--but it was told in a funny and articulate way. There were so much tears and laughter to be had from this movie. The actors were brilliant. At 2 ½ hours, the storytelling was not boring at all.

This movie made me watch it consecutively in one day, and asked the Hubby to watch it with the Daughter. That’s how beautiful the movie was for me. I'll never look at Bollywood the same way again. Or Mr. Bombay, for that matter.

Trivia:

Known for preparing for every role that he signs, actor Aamir Khan avoided eating his own birthday cake. When asked why, he said "I am surviving on milk and few bananas as I have been asked to lose weight for the role."

Aamir Khan's character Rancho says in the movie that people study engineering, then management, and then become bankers, so what is the whole point of studying engineering. This is exactly what Chetan Bhagat (the author of 'Five point someone', the book from which the movie has been adapted) did. He studied engineering from IIT, management from IIM, and became a banker.

The campus shown in the movie is that of 'Indian Institute of Management' - Bangalore

Producer Vidhu Vinod Chopra has claimed that 3 Idiots will be legally released on YouTube within 12 weeks of releasing in theaters - a first in the history of Indian cinema.

The SUV used throughout the movie is a 2010 model Volvo XC-90 R-Design.

The College and the hostel scenes of the movie have been filmed at Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore, although the fictional "Imperical College of Engineering" depicted in the movie is situated in the city of Delhi. 
(www.imdb.com)

*Aal Izz Well