Let's hear it for...

So I’ve seen two performances worth mentioning in the last few days that I have been meaning to write about for a while.

Last week I finally managed to go for The Dark Knight and am I glad I caught it before it went off the theaters! The movie was fine, had its moments of brilliance and maybe an occasional low point here and there. But..but but but…and I am sure everyone has read and heard enough about him by now for it to be coming out of their ears but I can’t not mention it - the Joker was absolutely stunningly wonderful! I don’t remember the last time I saw a performance even close to what Heath Ledger has managed here, and I see pretty much all the movies out there. And I wouldn’t be surprised if Jack Nicholson did truly warn Ledger about the baggage that would come with accepting a part such as the Joker. A very tragic end to a truly superb actor.
The movie has probably forever changed the association one had with the famous words ‘You complete me…’ with the over-the-top corny Jerry Maguire sequence being replaced by the image of the white faced, menacing Joker.

The second performance that I wanted to mention is fortunately a lot more buoyant. I managed to succeed in conning the husband into taking me for the Unforgettable Tour performance at O2 here in London. We had great seats (even Shilpa Shetty’s sister who was a guest attendee had seats behind us heh!) and the show was enjoyable though such a contrast from all of the international concerts I have been to lately. Everyone was fine, particularly Abhishek Bachchan and Shilpa Shetty, who I thought was so much more entertaining than the other ladies who were part of the troupe. But the high point was obviously Amitabh Bachchan himself. I was amazed to see how nearly everyone who made up the 16000+ packed audience had essentially come just to see him perform, all the stars and actors of the new generation seemed reduced to supporting acts. Amitabh Bachchan was glorious in all he did, he sang many songs, he danced and almost kept up with younger cast members, he read Harivansh Rai Bachchan’s poetry and he delivered dialogues that left everyone moved to tears – yes seriously, I sneaked glances around when he finished the Deewar bit and people were actually crying! I’ve never seen quite the kind of standing ovation he received afterwards. If I haven’t said it before I’ll say it now – he totally rocks! I wish the show was longer than the nearly four hours that it turned out to be.

On our way back V sheepishly confessed to me that he hasn’t watched Deewar and I have a sneaking suspicion he hasn’t even watched Sholay though he wouldn’t admit it. I didn’t know people like that existed – you know those who haven’t seen Sholay. It’s a bit like growing up without reading Enid Blyton or Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys – I don’t know of anyone who grew up without them.

So anyway that’s that. I am on a spree it seems of catching these shows and stuff while I have the time now. Not that I am complaining one bit! :)